Japanese symbol for “underworld”
冥土
めいど
Romaji: meido
the underworld; the other world; realm of the dead; Hades
In Japanese, underworld is 冥土, read めいど (meido).
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 the underworld; the other world; realm of the dead; Hades (Buddh)
Written forms: 冥土、冥途. Readings: めいど.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “underworld”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 黄泉 | よみ yomi | Hades; hell; underworld |
| 冥府 | めいふ meifu | realm of the dead; the other world; underworld |
| 根の国 | ねのくに nenokuni | underworld |
| 極道 | ごくどう gokudou | organized crime; yakuza; underworld |
| 下層社会 | かそうしゃかい kasoushakai | the underworld; lower ranks of society |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 冥福 | めいふく meifuku | happiness in the next world; heavenly bliss; repose of one's soul |
| 冥利 | みょうり myouri | providence; luck; favor |
| 冥界 | めいかい meikai | hades; realm of the dead |
| 冥府 | めいふ meifu | realm of the dead; the other world; underworld |
| 冥王星 | めいおうせい meiousei | Pluto (dwarf planet) |
| 土地 | とち tochi | plot of land; lot; soil |
| 土曜 | どよう doyou | Saturday |
| 領土 | りょうど ryoudo | territory; domain; dominion |
See also: Chinese symbol for “underworld”.
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.