Japanese symbol for “torch”
松明
たいまつ
Romaji: taimatsu
torch (made of pine, bamboo, reed, etc.); flambeau; torchlight
In Japanese, torch is 松明, read たいまつ (taimatsu).
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 torch (made of pine, bamboo, reed, etc.); flambeau; torchlight
Written forms: 松明、炬. Readings: たいまつ、しょうめい.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “torch”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| トーチ | トーチ toochi | torch |
| 懐中電灯 | かいちゅうでんとう kaichuudentou | (electric) torch; flashlight |
| 灯火 | ともしび tomoshibi | light; lamp; torch |
| 炬 | きょ kyo | torch |
| 続松 | ついまつ tsuimatsu | torch |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 赤松 | あかまつ akamatsu | Japanese red pine (Pinus densiflora); Japanese umbrella pine; tanyosho pine |
| 松林 | まつばやし matsubayashi | pine forest |
| 浜松 | はままつ hamamatsu | Hamamatsu (city) |
| 門松 | かどまつ kadomatsu | New Year's pine decoration |
| 松風 | まつかぜ matsukaze | (sound of) wind blowing through pine trees |
| 説明 | せつめい setsumei | explanation; exposition; description |
| 明日 | あした ashita | tomorrow |
| 明らか | あきらか akiraka | clear; obvious; evident |
See also: Chinese symbol for “torch”.
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.