Japanese symbol for “north”
北
きた
Romaji: kita
north
In Japanese, north is 北, read きた (kita).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n north
- n the North; northern territories
- n North Korea
- n north wind
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “north”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 北部 | ほくぶ hokubu | northern part; the north (of a region) |
| 北方 | ほっぽう hoppou | the north; northward; northern direction |
| 子 | ね ne | north |
| ノース | ノース noosu | north |
| 北の方 | きたのかた kitanokata | northern direction; north |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 北部 | ほくぶ hokubu | northern part; the north (of a region) |
| 北海道 | ほっかいどう hokkaidou | Hokkaido (island, prefectural-level administrative unit) |
| 敗北 | はいぼく haiboku | defeat; loss; reverse |
| 南北 | なんぼく nanboku | north and south; north to south |
| 北朝鮮 | きたちょうせん kitachousen | North Korea |
| 北東 | ほくとう hokutou | northeast |
See also: Chinese symbol for “north”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.