Japanese symbol for “torture”
拷問
ごうもん
Romaji: goumon
torture
In Japanese, torture is 拷問, read ごうもん (goumon).
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, vt torture
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “torture”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 責め | せめ seme | torture; torment |
| 責める | せめる semeru | to torture; to torment; to persecute |
| 呵責 | かしゃく kashaku | blame; accusation; torture |
| 苛む | さいなむ sainamu | to torment; to torture; to afflict |
| 責め苛む | せめさいなむ semesainamu | to torture; to persecute; to excruciate |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 拷問具 | ごうもんぐ goumongu | torture device; instrument of torture |
| 拷問台 | ごうもんだい goumondai | rack (torture device) |
| 拷器 | ごうき gouki | instruments of torture |
| 拷訊 | ごうじん goujin | torture |
| 拷責 | ごうせき gouseki | torture |
| 問題 | もんだい mondai | question (e.g. on a test); problem |
| 質問 | しつもん shitsumon | question; inquiry; enquiry |
| 疑問 | ぎもん gimon | doubt; question; suspicion |
See also: Chinese symbol for “torture”.
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.