Japanese symbol for “southward”
南方
なんぽう
Romaji: nanpou
the south; southward; southern direction
In Japanese, southward is 南方, read なんぽう (nanpou).
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 the south; southward; southern direction
- n countries in the south (esp. Southeast Asia and the pre-WWII South Pacific Mandate)
Kanji and stroke order
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 |
| 南東 | なんとう nantou | southeast |
| 南極 | なんきょく nankyoku | South Pole |
| 南米 | なんべい nanbei | South America |
| 方法 | ほうほう houhou | method; way; manner |
| 一方 | いっぽう ippou | one (esp. of two); the other; one way |
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.