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Kanji for Loyalty
The kanji most commonly used for "Loyalty" are 忠、義.
忠
Kanji that mean Loyalty
忠 (chū) is loyalty — the heart radical 心 beneath 中, “the centre”: a heart held on centre, undivided. It is the loyalty of the retainer to the lord, the value at the core of bushidō, and the first character of 忠誠 (allegiance) and 忠実 (faithful). The famous 忠犬ハチ公 — the loyal dog Hachikō who waited nine years at Shibuya station — wears this character.
義 (gi) is the partner concept: righteousness, duty, doing what is owed regardless of cost. 忠義 joins the two into the samurai’s loyalty; 恩義 is a debt of gratitude; 義理 the web of social obligation Japanese culture is famous for.
Nearby stand 誠 (sincerity — the banner of the Shinsengumi), 信 (trust), and 節 (constancy). Loyalty in Japanese is not one virtue but a family of them.
Words using Loyalty kanji
Everyday Japanese vocabulary built from the characters above.
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忠実
ちゅうじつ
faithful; devoted; loyal
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主義
しゅぎ
doctrine; rule; principle
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忠臣
ちゅうしん
loyal retainer; loyal subject
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朝鮮民主主義人民共和国
ちょうせんみんしゅしゅぎじんみんきょうわこく
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea); DPRK
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忠誠
ちゅうせい
loyalty; sincerity; allegiance
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正義
せいぎ
justice; right; righteousness
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忠告
ちゅうこく
advice; warning
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義務
ぎむ
duty; obligation; responsibility
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民主主義
みんしゅしゅぎ
democracy
Before you use Loyalty kanji
忠 alone reads as feudal loyalty — noble, but with a whiff of the retainer serving a master. For loyalty between equals, 信 (trust) or 誠 (sincerity) may fit better; 忠誠 spells out allegiance unambiguously. All are safe characters with no double meanings.