Japanese symbol for “search”
捜査
そうさ
Romaji: sousa
search (esp. in criminal investigations); investigation; inquiry; enquiry
In Japanese, search is 捜査, read そうさ (sousa).
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
- adj-no, n, vs search (esp. in criminal investigations); investigation; inquiry; enquiry
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “search”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 捜索 | そうさく sousaku | search (esp. for someone or something missing); manhunt |
| 探索 | たんさく tansaku | search; lookup; hunt |
| 検索 | けんさく kensaku | looking up (e.g. a word in a dictionary); search (e.g. on the Internet); retrieval (of information) |
| 追求 | ついきゅう tsuikyuu | pursuit (of a goal, ideal, etc.); search; chase |
| 探求 | たんきゅう tankyuu | search; quest; pursuit |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 捜索 | そうさく sousaku | search (esp. for someone or something missing); manhunt |
| 特捜 | とくそう tokusou | special investigation |
| 科捜研 | かそうけん kasouken | forensic researcher; crime scene investigator |
| 捜索隊 | そうさくたい sousakutai | search party |
| 家捜し | やさがし yasagashi | searching an entire house; searching a house thoroughly |
| 調査 | ちょうさ chousa | investigation; examination; inquiry |
| 検査 | けんさ kensa | inspection (e.g. customs, factory); examination; test |
| 審査 | しんさ shinsa | judging; inspection; examination |
See also: Chinese symbol for “search”.
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.