Japanese symbol for “rudder”
舵
かじ
Romaji: kaji
rudder; helm
In Japanese, rudder is 舵, read かじ (kaji).
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 rudder; helm
Written forms: 舵、梶、楫、檝. Readings: かじ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “rudder”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ラダー | ラダー radaa | rudder |
| 方向舵 | ほうこうだ houkouda | rudder |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 操舵 | そうだ souda | steering (of a boat); steerage |
| 舵取り | かじとり kajitori | steering (a boat); helmsman; steersman |
| 面舵 | おもかじ omokaji | starboard (side of a ship) |
| 舵手 | だしゅ dashu | helmsman; steersman; coxswain |
| 操舵手 | そうだしゅ soudashu | steersman; helmsman |
| 取り舵 | とりかじ torikaji | port (side of a ship) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “rudder”.
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.