Japanese symbol for “persecution”

迫害

はくがい

Romaji: hakugai

persecution; oppression

In Japanese, persecution is 迫害, read はくがい (hakugai).

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 persecution; oppression

Kanji and stroke order

迫

urge, force, imminent

on: ハク
kun: せま.る

8 strokes · JLPT 1

害

harm, injury

on: ガイ

10 strokes · JLPT 2

Related words

Words that share a kanji.

Word	Reading	Meaning
迫る	せまる semaru	to approach; to draw near; to be imminent
脅迫	きょうはく kyouhaku	threat; menace; coercion
迫力	はくりょく hakuryoku	impressiveness; impact; force
圧迫	あっぱく appaku	pressure
緊迫	きんぱく kinpaku	tension; strain
被害	ひがい higai	(suffering) damage; injury; harm
障害	しょうがい shougai	obstacle; impediment; hindrance
災害	さいがい saigai	calamity; disaster; misfortune

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.