Japanese symbol for “tattooing”
入れ墨
いれずみ
Romaji: irezumi
tattoo (esp. a traditional Japanese one); tattooing
In Japanese, tattooing is 入れ墨, read いれずみ (irezumi).
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, vs tattoo (esp. a traditional Japanese one); tattooing
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “tattooing”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 刺青 | しせい shisei | tattoo (esp. a traditional Japanese one); tattooing |
| 墨 | ぼく boku | tattooing (as a form of punishment in ancient China) |
| 墨刑 | ぼっけい bokkei | tattooing (as a form of punishment in ancient China) |
| 文身 | ぶんしん bunshin | tattoo (esp. a traditional Japanese one); tattooing |
| 箚青 | さっせい sassei | tattoo; tattooing |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 購入 | こうにゅう kounyuu | purchase; buying |
| 導入 | どうにゅう dounyuu | introduction; bringing in; installation |
| 収入 | しゅうにゅう shuunyuu | income; earnings; revenue |
| 輸入 | ゆにゅう yunyuu | import; importation; introduction |
| 入学 | にゅうがく nyuugaku | admission (to a school or university); entrance; enrolment |
| 入院 | にゅういん nyuuin | hospitalization; hospitalisation |
| 墨絵 | すみえ sumie | ink painting |
| お墨付き | おすみつき osumitsuki | certificate; certified document; authorization |
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.