Japanese symbol for “southwest”
南西
なんせい
Romaji: nansei
southwest
In Japanese, southwest is 南西, read なんせい (nansei).
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 southwest
Written forms: 南西. Readings: なんせい、みなみにし.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “southwest”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 未申 | ひつじさる hitsujisaru | southwest |
| 南西部 | なんせいぶ nanseibu | southwestern part; the southwest |
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 |
| 東西 | とうざい touzai | east and west |
| 西洋 | せいよう seiyou | the West; the Occident; Western countries |
| 関西 | かんさい kansai | Kansai (region comprising Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe and surrounding prefectures) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “southwest”.
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.