Japanese symbol for “religion”
宗教
しゅうきょう
Romaji: shuukyou
religion; religious affiliation; belief; faith
In Japanese, religion is 宗教, read しゅうきょう (shuukyou).
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 religion; religious affiliation; belief; faith; creed
- n religious activity
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “religion”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 宗旨 | しゅうし shuushi | (religious) sect; denomination; religion |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 宗派 | しゅうは shuuha | sect; denomination |
| 宗家 | そうけ souke | head of family; head house |
| 改宗 | かいしゅう kaishuu | religious conversion |
| 禅宗 | ぜんしゅう zenshuu | Zen (Buddhism) |
| 浄土真宗 | じょうどしんしゅう joudoshinshuu | Jōdo Shinshū (offshoot of the Jōdo sect); True Pure Land School |
| 教育 | きょういく kyouiku | education; schooling; training |
| 教え | おしえ oshie | teaching; instruction; teachings |
| 教授 | きょうじゅ kyouju | professor |
See also: Chinese symbol for “religion”.
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.