Satoru (さとる, サトル) is a Japanese verb meaning "to know" or "understand." It is a common masculine Japanese given name and is the root of the Zen Buddhist word Satori (悟り, enlightenment).
Meaning and Written Forms
The name can be written using different kanji characters, each carrying a distinct meaning:
- 悟 — "enlightenment"
- 聡 — "smart," "intelligent"
- 智 — "wisdom"
- 知 — "knowledge"
- 了 — "understanding"
- 哲 — "philosophy"
- 聖 — "virtuous"
- 暁 — "daybreak"
The name can also be written in hiragana (さとる) or katakana (サトル).
Notable People
Several well-known individuals bear the name Satoru, including:
- Satoru Iwata (1959–2015) — Fourth president and CEO of Nintendo
- Satoru Nakajima (born 1953) — Japanese racing driver
- Satoru Sayama (born 1957) — Japanese professional wrestler
- Satoru Shibata (born 1962) — President of Nintendo of Europe
- Satoru Okada — General manager of Nintendo Research & Engineering
- Satoru Kōsaki (born 1974) — Japanese music composer
- Satoru Noda — Japanese manga artist (creator of Golden Kamuy)
Fictional Characters
Satoru is also a common name in Japanese media, appearing in numerous anime, manga, and video games:
- Satoru Gojo — A central character in Jujutsu Kaisen
- Satoru Fujinuma — Protagonist of Boku Dake ga Inai Machi (Erased)
- Satoru Mikami — The previous identity of Rimuru Tempest in That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
- Satoru Akashi — Main hero of GoGo Sentai Boukenger
Related Names
The name is related to Satoshi, which shares similar kanji and meaning.
Other
- 8485 Satoru — A main-belt asteroid named after the Japanese racing driver Satoru Nakajima.
