Japanese symbol for “southeast”
南東
なんとう
Romaji: nantou
southeast
In Japanese, southeast is 南東, read なんとう (nantou).
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 southeast
Written forms: 南東. Readings: なんとう、みなみひがし.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “southeast”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 辰巳 | たつみ tatsumi | southeast |
| 巽位 | そんい son'i | southeast |
| 南東部 | なんとうぶ nantoubu | southeastern part; the southeast |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 南部 | なんぶ nanbu | southern part; the south (of a region) |
| 南北 | なんぼく nanboku | north and south; north to south |
| 南西 | なんせい nansei | southwest |
| 南極 | なんきょく nankyoku | South Pole |
| 南米 | なんべい nanbei | South America |
| 東京 | とうきょう toukyou | Tokyo |
| 東西 | とうざい touzai | east and west |
| 東洋 | とうよう touyou | the East; the Orient; (East) Asia |
See also: Chinese symbol for “southeast”.
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.