Japanese symbol for “sanctuary”
聖堂
せいどう
Romaji: seidou
(Confucian) temple; church; sanctuary
In Japanese, sanctuary is 聖堂, read せいどう (seidou).
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 (Confucian) temple; church; sanctuary
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “sanctuary”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 聖域 | せいいき seiiki | sacred precincts; sanctuary; consecrated ground |
| 神殿 | しんでん shinden | temple; shrine; sanctuary |
| サンクチュアリ | サンクチュアリ sankuchuari | sanctuary |
| 殿堂 | でんどう dendou | shrine; temple; sanctuary |
| 内陣 | ないじん naijin | inner sanctum; inner temple; inner shrine |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 聖書 | せいしょ seisho | Bible; the Scriptures; Holy Writ |
| 神聖 | しんせい shinsei | holiness; sacredness; sanctity |
| 聖人 | せいじん seijin | saint |
| 聖地 | せいち seichi | sacred place; holy ground; the Holy Land |
| 聖母 | せいぼ seibo | mother of a holy person |
| 食堂 | しょくどう shokudou | dining room; dining hall; cafeteria |
| 堂々 | どうどう doudou | magnificent; grand; impressive |
| 講堂 | こうどう koudou | auditorium; lecture hall |
See also: Chinese symbol for “sanctuary”.
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.