遡 — “Go Upstream / Retrace The Past” in Japanese

Master (高手)そ, さく, さかのぼ

Radical ⾡ · radical 162 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Go Upstream / Retrace The Past” in Japanese is 遡, read so, saku, sakanobo (そ, さく, さかのぼ). It is a Jōyō kanji taught in Japanese secondary school (junior & senior high) — the 高手 · Master tier beyond the grade 1–6 Kyōiku set, and appears in words such as 遡上 (going upstream).

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What does 遡 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	遡
Meaning	Go Upstream / Retrace The Past
Readings	そ, さく, さかのぼ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	遡上 (going upstream)

How to read 遡

遡 is read so (そ) or saku (さく) or sakanobo (さかのぼ) depending on the word.

Words with 遡

遡上

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Kanji read the same way as 遡

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

Updated: 2026-08-28