Japanese symbol for “riot”
騒動
そうどう
Romaji: soudou
riot; rebellion; turmoil; strife
In Japanese, riot is 騒動, read そうどう (soudou).
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, vi, vs riot; rebellion; turmoil; strife
- n, vi, vs (media) uproar; brouhaha; (public) outcry; scandal; controversy
- n, vi, vs feud; tussle; quarrel; dispute
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “riot”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 暴動 | ぼうどう boudou | insurrection; riot; uprising |
| 動乱 | どうらん douran | disturbance; upheaval; unrest |
| 騒乱 | そうらん souran | disturbance; riot; mayhem |
| 一揆 | いっき ikki | uprising (esp. in Japan since middle ages, e.g. peasant uprising); revolt; insurrection |
| 騒擾 | そうじょう soujou | riot; disturbance |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 騒ぎ | さわぎ sawagi | uproar; disturbance |
| 騒音 | そうおん souon | noise; din |
| 大騒ぎ | おおさわぎ oosawagi | clamour; clamor; uproar |
| 騒ぐ | さわぐ sawagu | to make noise; to make racket; to be noisy |
| 物騒 | ぶっそう bussou | dangerous; unsettled; troubled |
| 活動 | かつどう katsudou | activity (of a person, organization, animal, volcano, etc.); action; operation |
| 行動 | こうどう koudou | action; conduct; behaviour |
| 運動 | うんどう undou | exercise; physical training; workout |
See also: Chinese symbol for “riot”.
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.