Kite in Japanese
"kite" in Japanese, with the kanji that carry the meaning.
凧
tako
Its reading, stroke count, etymology and cultural background.
凧View details →
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kite
Reading: tako
5 strokes · nature
Where it comes from
A character made in Japan rather than borrowed from Chinese: a cloth set on a frame to take the wind.
What it carries
A New Year amusement. In Edo the trailing tails looked like an octopus and it was called tako; in the Kansai region they looked like a squid and it was ikanobori. Both readings survive because the east and the west never agreed.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Japanese kanji for kite?
The most common kanji for "kite" is 凧, read as tako. It means kite. Related kanji: .
How many strokes does 凧 have?
凧 has 5 strokes.