Japanese symbol for “sect”
宗
しゅう
Romaji: shuu
sect; denomination
In Japanese, sect is 宗, read しゅう (shuu).
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, n-suf sect; denomination
- n tenets (of a religious sect)
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “sect”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 宗派 | しゅうは shuuha | sect; denomination |
| 派 | は ha | sect; denomination |
| 分派 | ぶんぱ bunpa | faction; branch; sect |
| 宗門 | しゅうもん shuumon | (religious) denomination; sect |
| 学派 | がくは gakuha | school (of thought); sect |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 宗教 | しゅうきょう shuukyou | religion; religious affiliation; belief |
| 宗派 | しゅうは shuuha | sect; denomination |
| 宗家 | そうけ souke | head of family; head house |
| 改宗 | かいしゅう kaishuu | religious conversion |
| 禅宗 | ぜんしゅう zenshuu | Zen (Buddhism) |
| 浄土真宗 | じょうどしんしゅう joudoshinshuu | Jōdo Shinshū (offshoot of the Jōdo sect); True Pure Land School |
See also: Chinese symbol for “sect”.
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.