Japanese symbol for “uphill”
上り
のぼり
Romaji: nobori
ascent; climbing; ascending (path); climb
In Japanese, uphill is 上り, read のぼり (nobori).
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 ascent; climbing; ascending (path); climb
- n up-train; train heading toward the starting point of its route
- adj-no, n upbound (esp. toward Tokyo)
- n, n-pref upstream; uphill
Written forms: 上り、登り、昇り. Readings: のぼり.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “uphill”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 上り坂 | のぼりざか noborizaka | ascent; uphill; upward slope |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 以上 | いじょう ijou | not less than ...; ... and over; ... and above |
| 売り上げ | うりあげ uriage | amount sold; sales; proceeds |
| 上昇 | じょうしょう joushou | rising; ascending; climbing |
| 向上 | こうじょう koujou | elevation; rise; improvement |
| 上司 | じょうし joushi | (one's) superior; (one's) boss; the higher-ups |
| 地上 | ちじょう chijou | above ground; on the ground; earth's surface |
See also: Chinese symbol for “uphill”.
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.