MAKOTO | 誠

Meaning: Sincerity
Reading: makoto [まこと]

As in "loyalty" and "sincerity", it expresses a heart that is free from lies and dishonesty. As the radical "訁(gon-ben)" indicates, it originally means "the words are full of heart." In turn, it is used to mean "I think so from the bottom of my heart," like "I'm really sorry." The Shinsengumi, which was active in the Edo period, is famous for the word "誠" painted on its flag.