Bold character, unambiguous meaning, deep traditional roots.

What a Japanese person actually thinks
Strong and classical. Also, in slang, 虎 means a falling-down drunk (虎になる) — a fun bit of trivia rather than a real risk.

Meaning

Literally: tiger
Actually: Tiger. One of the twelve zodiac animals and a standard motif in traditional Japanese tattooing, usually paired with bamboo or a dragon.

Scores

Naturalness●●●●●

Normal word.

Coolness●●●●●

Great silhouette — the character genuinely looks like something crouching.

Watch out

lowAlso the Hanshin Tigers baseball team. In the Kansai region specifically, expect that association first.

On skin

虎

Orientation: either

Bold brush, large.