Japanese symbol for “virtuosity”

名人芸

めいじんげい

Romaji: meijingei

masterful performance; virtuosity

In Japanese, virtuosity is 名人芸, read めいじんげい (meijingei).

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 masterful performance; virtuosity

Kanji and stroke order

名

name, noted, distinguished

on: メイ、ミョウ
kun: な、-な

6 strokes · JLPT 4

人

person

on: ジン、ニン
kun: ひと、-り、-と

2 strokes · JLPT 4

芸

technique, art, craft

on: ゲイ、ウン
kun: う.える、のり、わざ

7 strokes · JLPT 2

Related words

Words that share a kanji.

Word	Reading	Meaning
名前	なまえ namae	name
有名	ゆうめい yuumei	famous; well-known
名誉	めいよ meiyo	honor; honour; credit
名称	めいしょう meishou	name; title
署名	しょめい shomei	signature; autograph
本名	ほんみょう honmyou	real name
人間	にんげん ningen	human being; human; person
個人	こじん kojin	individual; private person; personal
芸術	げいじゅつ geijutsu	art; the arts

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.