2001.Kanji.Odyssey

Japanese Kanji

Japanese Kanji came from China in the 5th to the 6th centuries. Then later Hiragana and Katakana evolved to represent "readings" in Japanese. There are about 15,000 characters used in modern Japanese, out of over 50,000 that exists.
However most of them are used in names of places and people, or used as technical terms in historical or medical books. There are not too many characters used in general documents.

Joyo Kanji

In 1981, the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture (the former Ministry of Education) designated 1,945 Kanji characters for everyday use in order to standardize the Japanese writing system. These Kanji characters are called Joyo Kanji.

In 2010, Joyo Kanji was revised. 196 Kanji characters were added and 5 Kanjis were removed. The current Joyo Kanji consists of 2,136 Kanji characters.

Japanese sentences in general terms are composed by using these standard Kanji characters. Newspapers and business documents are generally written following Joyo Kanji, therefore Joyo Kanji is the standard when foreigners learn Kanji.

However, the list of the standard Kanji characters includes some that are hardly used in everyday writing - 畝, 帥 and are good examples.
On the other hand, some characters such as 嘘, 噂 and are used frequently everyday despite the fact that they do not appear on the Ministry's list.
In other words Joyo Kanji is only a standard and ordinary Japanese people do not follow it strictly in everyday writing.

On reading and Kun reading

Each Japanese Kanji usually has at least two readings, Japanese origin reading and Chinese origin reading. Japanese origin reading is called Kun Yomi and Chinese origin reading is called On Yomi.

A Kanji is used alone as a word, or is used with other Kanji as a Kanji compound which is called Jukugo. When a single Kanji is used as a word in a sentence, it is usually read in Kun Yomi. When Kanji are used together as a compound, it is usually read in On Yomi.

Kun Yomi is written in Hiragana and On Yomi is written in Katakana in our material.

Kun Yomi to eat
On Yomi food, foodstuffs

Forms of Kanji --- Bushu (Radical)

Kanji represent forms of something or situation and each of them represent meaning.

Above Kanji are clear examples however, many Kanji require some explanation to understand why they are in such forms.
Most Kanji consist of several parts. Such parts are called Bushu (Radical).
Some independent Kanji make appearance as Bushu of other Kanji, but in most cases Bushu appear only as parts.

First example , both and are individual Kanji on its own. They are combined to form another Kanji .
Next example , is a radical representing which means "person". It is not a character on its own. represents a situation where a person rests under a tree.

There are over 200 radicals. Memorizing all will be difficult. We have listed 35 important radicals for your reference.

Important Bushu (Radical)

Bushu Name Examples (Kanji numbers are from 2001.Kanji.Odyssey)
人46,休52,体53,供74,作186,仕136,使187,値198,住236,個299,
借339,働375,任582,像618,何30
行34,待261,徒270,往766,復767,後107,役265,律307,術322,
彼440,従588,得949,徐1065,徹1097,御250
手59,持262,指351,押280,打263,投264,技321,払337,捕645,
探656,採593,拾659,扱974,操769,携774
海64,港514,湖661,池662,泳666,波667,洗671,油672,浮673,
深663,浅664,流668,漁853,液983,酒483
木23,林69,森70,休52,材499,柱735,桜962,板968,植966,根967,
株314,橋734,村244,校272,枚300
私76,秋203,利318,和421,税365,移373,種404,科475,秘717,
秒550,稲1386,称1389,程870,季205
糸1111,線408,紙388,絵389,結441,細797,続543,縦770,縮858,
織577,経311,練281,約354,終380,組576
言121,話122,読123,語124,議454,論455,証489,認494,説505,
調531,談545,記546,評615,訳802,試286
道146,通145,運371,進578,逃646,近156,遠157,速377,遅378,
送257,迷926,達78,週27,追609,連541
日19,時17,明88,暗89,昨90,曜26,暖209,映396,照890,春201,
間100,音391,昼112,温210,早376
月20,明88,朝111,期343,胸976,腹977,腰978,肺979,脳567,
脈1360,勝301,脱364,服423,膨865,肥1354
目56,眼1194,眠1195,瞳1417,瞬1418,睡1419,眺1833,直406,
看919,盲1861,盾1362,省811,督1002,相544
貝1246,買119,員134,貸340,貨761,賃349,貿762,貧839,質288,
販195,贈936,賠937,財941,貯942,購1036
頁2272,頭569,顔570,題290,額330,願525,頼450,項790,順816,
領575,預943,頃1431,傾1062,頂1433,瀬1695
女72,好75,姉431,妹432,娘436,婚442,婦892,始379,安102,
妻893,要327,姿1105,嫌1095,努879,怒880
性267,情213,快686,忙478,慣283,惜1591,悩568,惨607,慎910,
怖1107,慌1535,懐1540,憎1549,恨1592
階196,限344,降362,院472,険487,際510,障621,陽705,陸753,
除823,隔945,隊1077,防1093,陣1558
車142,軽254,運371,転372,連541,較612,庫683,輸764,輪765,
軟1067,軍1076,軸1561,軒1556,載799,撃1087
金24,銀169,鉄170,銅1015,鏡1014,銃1082,録548,錯909,
針1151,鍵1153,鋼1154,鉱1155,銭1464,錠1779
火21,炎1581,災626,灰1586,炭958,秋203,煙482,畑1183,
燃951,焼952,灯1583,炉1584,炊1585,談545
家79,客80,空63,安102,宿418,室424,寝782,字127,寒208,
完516,宇706,宙707,守777,宅778,富834
草969,花68,葉970,薬393,茶177,菜174,英125,荷251,芸323,
若438,落665,苦836,夢908,菌997,荒1534
力54,協55,男71,動374,働375,助632,効445,勉276,功518,
勤586,労837,努879,勢1104,勇1446
土25,社133,地148,場140,坂1063,城1230,域928,塩846,壊630,
型403,基501,陸753,壁1074,堂1406,在382
口57,味178,呼971,吸972,鳴1042,咲963,吹964,知226,言121,
話122,語124,告215,台211,古217,器498
国163,図149,回298,園507,因522,囲743,困838,団1019,
固1020,圏1378,四4
田67,畑1183,町243,男71,思222,界165,異527,畜1292,番234,
留776,富834,画397,略812,由447,申341
山61,峠1806,峰1807,峡1808,岬1809,岐1810,崎2014,島515,
岳1802,崩670,岩959,岸960,崖1803,嵐1804
門96,間100,開97,閉98,聞99,問289,関551,簡291,閥1732,
閲1733,闇1734,閑1735
店192,座367,席368,広160,度155,床1207,庭961,序817,庫683,
底1098,庁1208,府558,拡580,庶1501,廃694
屋175,局233,届260,居1202,屈600,展1023,属809,尾1188,
尻1424,層1426,履1427,尼2087,昼112,尽1422
心221,思222,忘223,感616,想617,悲1018,恋902,怒880,悪220,
志878,意492,恐1106,急345,息437,惑927
見120,覚130,親428,視1009,現381,規308,元81,光702,兄433,
売191,党559,況554,税365,免1031,競650
足60,路147,踏1458,距738,踊1457,跳1459,跡723,促1025
走153,起781,越862,超861,趣785,徒270

Stroke order

Stroke order for Kanji writing is called Kakijun. It is basically similar to Hiragana and Katakana writings.
Kakijun for Level 1 and Level 2 Kanji are in the Audio e-Book.
Number strokes are called Kakusu.

2 Kaku (2 strokes)
4 Kaku (4 strokes)

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