Japanese symbol for “spire”
塔
とう
Romaji: tou
tower; steeple; spire
In Japanese, spire is 塔, read とう (tou).
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 tower; steeple; spire
- n stupa; pagoda; dagoba
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “spire”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 頂 | いただき itadaki | crown (of head); summit (of mountain); spire |
| 尖塔 | せんとう sentou | spire; steeple; pinnacle |
| とんがり屋根 | とんがりやね tongariyane | conical roof; peaked roof; pointed roof |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 管制塔 | かんせいとう kanseitou | control tower |
| 鉄塔 | てっとう tettou | steel tower |
| 金字塔 | きんじとう kinjitou | pyramid |
| 仏塔 | ぶっとう buttou | stupa; pagoda |
| 砲塔 | ほうとう houtou | gun turret |
| 広告塔 | こうこくとう koukokutou | billboard; advertising tower |
See also: Chinese symbol for “spire”.
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.