King's Kung-Fu& Tai Chi

Japanese symbol for “reef”

Romaji: ganshou
reef

In Japanese, reef is , read (ganshou).

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

  1. n reef

Kanji and stroke order

boulder, rock, cliff
on: ガン
kun: いわ
8 strokes · JLPT 2
reef, sunken rock
on: ショウ
17 strokes · JLPT 1

Other Japanese words for “reef”

WordReadingMeaning
ね ne(fishing) reef
あんしょう anshoureef; sunken rock
リーフ riifureef
こうみゃく koumyakuvein (of ore); reef; streak
しょう shoureef

Related words

Words that share a kanji.

WordReadingMeaning
ようがん youganlava
がんばん ganbanbedrock
いわや iwayacave; cavern; grotto
がんせき gansekirock
いわやま iwayamarocky mountain
かんしょう kanshouatoll; circular coral reef
あんしょう anshoureef; sunken rock
ざしょう zashourunning aground; being stranded; grounding

See also: Chinese symbol for “reef”.

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.

Last posts

  1. Best Bokken Bags and Cases for Martial Arts Training
  2. Choosing the Best Wooden Tanto for Realistic Knife Drills
  3. What Is a Suburito and Is It Worth Buying for Strength
  4. Buying a Wooden Wakizashi for Two-Sword Practice
  5. Buying Chanbara Swords for Sparring and Competition
  6. What Size Shinai Does a Child Need for Kendo Practice
  7. Best Polypropylene Bokken for Hard Contact Training
  8. Best Foam Swords for Kids Martial Arts and Safe Practice
  9. Are Cold Steel Training Swords Good for Practice
  10. Shinai Maintenance and Essential Tools for Bamboo Care