Japanese symbol for “provincial”
夷
えびす
Romaji: ebisu
peoples formerly of northern Japan with distinct language and culture (i.e. the Ainu)
In Japanese, provincial is 夷, read えびす (ebisu).
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 peoples formerly of northern Japan with distinct language and culture (i.e. the Ainu)
- n provincial (i.e. a person who lives far from the city)
- n brutish, unsophisticated warrior (esp. used by Kyoto samurai to refer to samurai from eastern Japan)
- n foreigner; barbarian
Written forms: 夷、戎. Readings: えびす.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “provincial”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 田舎っぽい | いなかっぽい inakappoi | provincial; rural; parochial |
| 田舎臭い | いなかくさい inakakusai | rustic; unsophisticated; provincial |
| 鄙人 | ひなびと hinabito | countryfolk; villager; provincial |
| 芋っぽい | いもっぽい imoppoi | uncool; bad-looking; unattractive |
| イモい | イモい imoi | rustic; unsophisticated; provincial |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 蝦夷 | えみし emishi | Emishi; Ezo; non-Yamato peoples in northern Japan |
| 攘夷 | じょうい joui | expulsion of foreigners |
| 焼夷弾 | しょういだん shouidan | incendiary bomb; firebomb |
| 東夷 | あずまえびす azumaebisu | warrior from the eastern parts of Japan |
| 辛夷 | こぶし kobushi | kobus magnolia (Magnolia kobus) |
| 夷狄 | いてき iteki | barbarians; aliens |
See also: Chinese symbol for “provincial”.
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.