Japanese symbol for “opening”
開放
かいほう
Romaji: kaihou
opening (a door, window, etc.); leaving open
In Japanese, opening is 開放, read かいほう (kaihou).
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, vs, vt opening (a door, window, etc.); leaving open
- n, vs, vt opening up (e.g. to the public); allowing (public) access
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “opening”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 開催 | かいさい kaisai | holding (a conference, exhibition, etc.); opening; hosting (e.g. the Olympics) |
| 始め | はじめ hajime | beginning; start; outset |
| 穴 | あな ana | hole; opening; orifice |
| 開き | ひらき hiraki | opening; gap |
| 序盤 | じょばん joban | opening (in a game of go, chess, etc.) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 開催 | かいさい kaisai | holding (a conference, exhibition, etc.); opening; hosting (e.g. the Olympics) |
| 公開 | こうかい koukai | opening to the public; making available to the public; exhibiting |
| 開発 | かいはつ kaihatsu | development; cultivation; application |
| 開始 | かいし kaishi | start; commencement; beginning |
| 展開 | てんかい tenkai | development; evolution; progression |
| 放送 | ほうそう housou | broadcasting; broadcast; program |
| 解放 | かいほう kaihou | release; unleashing; liberation |
| 放題 | ほうだい houdai | (doing) as one pleases; to one's heart's content; letting (something) go unchecked |
See also: Chinese symbol for “opening”.
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.