Kanji Blog — Guides, Word Lists & JLPT Tips
Practical kanji articles: kanji by theme and meaning, how-to-learn methods, and JLPT N5→N1 study guides. New article every day.
- Kanji by theme
Color Kanji in Japanese: Red, Blue, White, Black & More
The basic color kanji — 赤 青 白 黒 黄 — behave as both nouns and adjectives. Learn their readings and the adjective endings that trip learners up.
6 min - Kanji by theme
The Kanji for Peace (平和 and 和): Harmony in Japanese
和 (wa) is one of the most culturally loaded kanji in Japanese — meaning peace, harmony, and Japan itself. Learn 和 and 平 and the word 平和.
5 min - Kanji by theme
Family Kanji: Mother, Father, Older & Younger Siblings
Learn the kanji for every family member — 母 父 兄 弟 姉 妹 — plus the crucial humble vs honorific split for talking about your family vs someone else's.
7 min - Kanji by theme
The Kanji for Dragon (竜 and 龍): Readings, Difference & Names
竜 and 龍 both mean dragon. One is the modern simplified form, the other the traditional. Here's when each appears and how to read them.
5 min - Kanji by theme
Elemental Kanji: Water 水, Fire 火, Earth 土, Wood 木, Metal 金
The five elemental kanji also name the days of the week and dozens of everyday words. Learn 水火土木金 with readings and the words they unlock.
6 min - Kanji by theme
Japanese Numbers 1–10 in Kanji: Readings, Strokes & Counting
The kanji for 1 to 10 are the highest-value characters you can learn first. Full readings, stroke counts, and the on/kun split that trips beginners up.
7 min - Kanji by theme
The Kanji for Strength (力 and 強): Power, Readings & Words
力 (chikara) and 強 (tsuyoi) both express strength in Japanese. Here's what each means, their readings, and the most useful words built from them.
6 min - Kanji by theme
The Kanji for Love (愛 and 恋): Meaning, Readings & Difference
Japanese has two kanji for love — 愛 (ai) and 恋 (koi). Learn what each means, how they're read, and exactly when to use which.
6 min