The name Lion Japanese Symbol in Japanese...

動物王國 is literally what it says.

There is even a TV show in China that is similar to Wild Kingdom or what you would currently see on the Discovery Channel that has this same title.

For your information: In the Chinese way of thinking, the Tiger is the king of the animal kingdom (lions are not native to China, so the tiger took the role that we have given to the lion in our western way of thinking).

The modern Japanese version has a slight variation on the last character (国 instead of 國). Let me know if you want the modern Japanese version (國 would be considered the old or traditional version).

豹 is the Chinese and Japanese word for the big cat known as a leopard, panther, or Jaguar.

This can refer to most cats of the Panthera genus as well as the Puma genus (but this is not used for most kinds of lions, except smaller ones like the mountain lion).

Because Jaguars are not native to Asia, the characters for “American continent” is usually added before this character to specifically designate a Jaguar.

This also kind of means Panther or Leopard in Korean Hanja but in modern Korean, they add a Hangul character to complete the word.

獅子舞 is the Japanese title for lion dancing.

This refers to the Japanese version borrowed from traditional Chinese culture. The Japanese version almost always features a red-faced lion with a green cloak with a white pattern.

獅子 is how to write “lion” in Japanese Kanji and Korean Hanja.

獅子 is also lion in Chinese, but more informal. The more literary title, 雄獅, would be better for Chinese calligraphy.

獅子王 is the Chinese title for “The Lion King” (also associated with the Disney movie).

This has the “Lion King” meaning in Japanese however, not associated with the movie you are thinking of. 獅子王 is also a Japanese surname that romanizes as Shishiou.

獅子心王 is the Japanese version of the nickname for King Richard the First. It means “Lion Heart King.” The full title is “リチャード獅子心王” in Japanese, or “Richard Lion Heart King.”

If you want a special version of this or a related Lion Heart title, just contact me.

虎 is the character for tiger in Chinese, old Korean Hanja, and Japanese Kanji.

Since you already know what a tiger is, here's some trivia: If you look at the Japanese pronunciation, you might remember a movie called “Tora Tora Tora” which was the code word used to initiate the attack on Pearl Harbor. It simply means “Tiger Tiger Tiger.”

In Chinese culture, the tiger is considered to be the king of all animals (in much the way we see the lion in western culture).

From the Chinese Zodiac, if you were born in the year of the tiger, you . . .

Have a strong personality.
Are full of self-confidence.
Love adventure
Don't like to obey others.

See also our Chinese Zodiac or Tiger Calligraphy pages.

獅子座 is the Chinese and Japanese way to write Leo (lion) of western astrology.

See Also:  Chinese Zodiac

獅子柔道 is the title for Lion Judo.

This should be considered just a Japanese title, though it is pronounceable and makes sense in Chinese and Korean - so I have included the romanization for those languages above.