Details
Stroke Order
Cultural Context
Etymology
Composed of earth and become. Building made of earth.
Symbolism
Castle, fortress, castle town. Represents castle.
Component Breakdown
earth + 成
Words & Expressions
Words written with 城
Four-Character Compounds
金城鉄壁
きんじょうてっぺき
impregnable castle (walls); impregnable; invulnerable
金城湯池
きんじょうとうち
an impregnable fortress; an unassailable territory
傾国傾城
けいこくけいせい
woman so glamorous as to bring ruin to a country (castle) as its king (lord) is captivated by her beauty; femme fatale
傾城傾国
けいせいけいこく
woman so glamorous as to bring ruin to a country (castle) as its king (lord) is captivated by her beauty; femme fatale
孤城落日
こじょうらくじつ
feeling (looking) lone and helpless; helplessness of those in reduced circumstances
一国一城
いっこくいちじょう
(possession of) one feudal domain and one castle; being independent (acting without compromise or assistance); establishing only one castle in each feudal domain (edict issued by the shogunate in 1615)
一顧傾城
いっこけいせい
woman so glamorous as to bring ruin to a country (castle) as its king (lord) is captivated by her beauty; femme fatale
Proverbs & Idioms
難攻不落の城
なんこうふらくのしろ
An impregnable castle
A fortress that cannot be easily conquered
Poetry
春や昔十五万石の城下かな
Spring as it was long ago — a castle town of a hundred and fifty thousand koku.
Anime & Manga
ハウルの動く城
Howl‘s Moving Castle
A well-known work with 城 in its Japanese title.
劇場版「鬼滅の刃」無限城編 第一章 猗窩座再来
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle
A well-known work with 城 in its Japanese title.
甲鉄城のカバネリ
Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress
A well-known work with 城 in its Japanese title.
甘城ブリリアントパーク
Amagi Brilliant Park
A well-known work with 城 in its Japanese title.
天空の城ラピュタ
Castle in the Sky
A well-known work with 城 in its Japanese title.
Related Figures & Stories
平城天皇
Name contains 城
Emperor Heizei , also known as Heijō-tennō, was the 51st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.
Wikipedia伊達宗城
Name contains 城
Date Munenari was the eighth head of the Uwajima Domain during the Late Tokugawa shogunate and a politician of the early Meiji era.
Wikipedia結城秀康
Name contains 城
Yūki Hideyasu was a Japanese samurai who lived during the Azuchi–Momoyama and early Edo periods.
Wikipedia宮城道雄
Name contains 城
Michio Miyagi was a Japanese musician, famous for his koto playing.
WikipediaFrequently Asked Questions
What does 城 mean in Japanese?
城 means castle.
How do you read 城?
On'yomi: ジョウ、セイ (JOU, SEI). Kun'yomi: しろ (shiro).
How many strokes does 城 have?
城 has 9 strokes. Its radical is 土 (earth).
Is 城 a good kanji for a tattoo?
城 is one of the kanji most often chosen for tattoos. It means castle. Read the full meaning and cultural background on this page first — some popular choices are deliberately dark.
Explore by meaning:castle