Japanese symbol for “reclamation”
開拓
かいたく
Romaji: kaitaku
reclamation (e.g. of wasteland); cultivation; development
In Japanese, reclamation is 開拓, read かいたく (kaitaku).
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 reclamation (e.g. of wasteland); cultivation; development
- n, vs, vt pioneering; opening up (e.g. of a new market); breaking new ground; trailblazing
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “reclamation”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 再生 | さいせい saisei | recycling; reclamation; recovery |
| 造成 | ぞうせい zousei | development (of land); preparation (e.g. of ground for housing); reclamation |
| 開墾 | かいこん kaikon | cultivating new land; clearing; reclamation |
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 |
| 開放 | かいほう kaihou | opening (a door, window, etc.); leaving open |
| 干拓 | かんたく kantaku | land reclamation (from sea) |
| 拓殖 | たくしょく takushoku | colonization; colonisation; development |
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.