Japanese symbol for “silkworm”
蚕
かいこ
Romaji: kaiko
silkworm (Bombyx mori)
In Japanese, silkworm is 蚕, read かいこ (kaiko).
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 silkworm (Bombyx mori)
Written forms: 蚕、蠶. Readings: かいこ、カイコ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “silkworm”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 桑子 | くわこ kuwako | silkworm (Bombyx mori) |
| 蚕児 | さんじ sanji | silkworm |
| 毛蚕 | けご kego | silkworm (in the first or second instar) |
| 蟻蚕 | ぎさん gisan | silkworm (in the first or second instar) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 養蚕 | ようさん yousan | sericulture; silkworm culture; silkworm raising |
| 蚕糸 | さんし sanshi | silk thread; silk yarn |
| 蚕室 | さんしつ sanshitsu | silkworm-raising room |
| 蚕種 | さんしゅ sanshu | silkworm-egg card |
| 蚕食 | さんしょく sanshoku | encroachment; making inroads (into); (slow but steady) invasion |
| 野蚕 | やさん yasan | wild silkworm |
See also: Chinese symbol for “silkworm”.
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.