Japanese symbol for “savages”
蛮夷
ばんい
Romaji: ban'i
savages; barbarians
In Japanese, savages is 蛮夷, read ばんい (ban'i).
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 savages; barbarians
Written forms: 蛮夷、蕃夷. Readings: ばんい.
Kanji and stroke order
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 野蛮 | やばん yaban | savage; barbarous; barbaric |
| 南蛮 | なんばん nanban | southern barbarians (name used in ancient China for non-Chinese ethnic groups to the south) |
| 蛮行 | ばんこう bankou | act of barbarity; barbarism; brutality |
| 蛮勇 | ばんゆう ban'yuu | foolhardiness; recklessness; savage valour |
| 蛮族 | ばんぞく banzoku | barbarian tribe; savage tribe |
| 蛮人 | ばんじん banjin | savage; barbarian; aboriginal |
| 蝦夷 | えみし emishi | Emishi; Ezo; non-Yamato peoples in northern Japan |
| 攘夷 | じょうい joui | expulsion of foreigners |
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.