Japanese symbol for “puppeteer”
傀儡師
かいらいし
Romaji: kairaishi
puppeteer; puppet player
In Japanese, puppeteer is 傀儡師, read かいらいし (kairaishi).
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 puppeteer; puppet player
- n wirepuller; string-puller; man behind the scenes
Written forms: 傀儡師、傀儡子. Readings: かいらいし、くぐつし.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “puppeteer”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 操り人形師 | あやつりにんぎょうし ayatsuriningyoushi | puppeteer |
| 人形使い | にんぎょうつかい ningyoutsukai | puppet operator; puppet manipulator; puppeteer |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 傀儡 | かいらい kairai | puppet; marionette |
| 傀儡政府 | かいらいせいふ kairaiseifu | puppet government |
| 傀儡政権 | かいらいせいけん kairaiseiken | puppet government; puppet regime |
| 傀儡女 | くぐつめ kugutsume | prostitute; geisha |
| 傀儡国家 | かいらいこっか kairaikokka | puppet state |
| 教師 | きょうし kyoushi | teacher; instructor |
| 医師 | いし ishi | doctor; physician |
| 講師 | こうし koushi | speaker; lecturer |
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.