槍
spear · lance · javelin
Details
Stroke Order
Cultural Context
Related Culture & Scenes
- — A Sengoku period battlefield. Ashigaru soldiers form a pike wall with their long spears. Warriors charge enemy lines seeking the honor of 'first spear.' The spear held equal importance to the sword as a samurai's primary weapon.
Words & Expressions
Four-Character Compounds
一騎当千
いっきとうせん
warrior worth a thousand - often depicted with a spear
Proverbs & Idioms
槍玉に挙げる
To single out for criticism - like targeting with a spear
Anime & Manga
進撃の巨人
Attack on Titan
The anti-Titan weapon called raisou, thunder spear, is written with this character — a throwing spear with an explosive head, used at a turning point in the story.
Fate/stay night
Fate/stay night
The class name Lancer is written in katakana, but his weapon Gae Bolg is a spear, and he is described in Japanese as a spearman.
Related Figures & Stories
本多忠勝
(ほんだただかつ)Wielded Tonbogiri, one of the three great spears of Japan
A commander under Tokugawa Ieyasu. His great-bladed spear was called Tonbogiri, dragonfly-cutter, after a tale of a dragonfly sliced in two by alighting on it; tradition holds he was never wounded.
前田利家
(まえだとしいえ)Nicknamed Yari no Matoza, Matoza of the Spear
Founder of the Maeda house of Kaga. As a young man he fought at the front with a long spear, and the nickname Matoza of the Spear stayed with him.
Other kanji with the same meaning
“spear”
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 槍 mean in Japanese?
槍 means spear, lance, javelin.
How do you read 槍?
On'yomi: ソウ (SOU). Kun'yomi: やり (yari).
How many strokes does 槍 have?
槍 has 14 strokes.
Is 槍 a good kanji for a tattoo?
槍 is one of the kanji most often chosen for tattoos. It means spear, lance, javelin. Read the full meaning and cultural background on this page first — some popular choices are deliberately dark.
Explore by meaning:spear