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.
- JLPT prep
JLPT N1は取る価値があるか：本当に必要な人とは
N1 is a huge undertaking — 2,000+ kanji and academic-level reading. Is it worth the effort, or is N2 enough? Here's an honest cost-benefit look.
6 min - JLPT prep
JLPT試験当日のコツ：時間配分・戦略・ケアレスミス回避
You've studied for months — don't lose points to poor timing or test nerves. Here's how to manage each JLPT section on the day and finish strong.
6 min - JLPT prep
JLPT：漢字と語彙、どちらを先に勉強すべきか
Kanji and vocabulary are tested together but studied differently. Here's why vocabulary-first usually wins, and how to make kanji a byproduct of words.
6 min - JLPT prep
JLPT N2漢字：仕事で使える約1000字に到達する
N2 is the level employers ask for. It expects ~1,000 kanji and newspaper-level reading. Here are targeted tips to close the gap from N3 to N2.
7 min - JLPT prep
実際に続けられる6ヶ月のJLPT学習計画
A realistic month-by-month JLPT plan covering kanji, vocabulary, grammar, reading, and listening — with weekly targets and a final-month mock-test routine.
8 min - JLPT prep
JLPT N3漢字：橋渡しレベルの攻略法
N3 is where many learners stall. It roughly doubles your kanji to ~650 and demands real reading speed. Here's a strategy to break through the wall.
7 min - JLPT prep
JLPTのレベル解説：N5からN1まで各級の要件
The JLPT has five levels from N5 (easiest) to N1 (hardest). Here's the kanji, vocabulary, and study hours each level demands, and how to choose yours.
8 min - JLPT prep
JLPT N4漢字リスト：N5の次の約170字
N4 adds roughly 170 kanji on top of N5, covering everyday verbs, adjectives, and places. Here's the themed list and how N4 differs from N5.
7 min - JLPT prep
JLPT N5漢字リスト：合格に必要な約100字
The JLPT N5 tests around 100 kanji. Here's the full list by theme — numbers, time, people, directions — with the readings each appears with on the exam.
8 min - How to learn
最初に覚える漢字：頻度順の戦略
Not all kanji are worth the same effort. Learning by frequency means the characters you study show up immediately. Here's how to prioritize.
6 min - How to learn
漢字は書かずに覚えられるか：その方法
If your goal is reading, you can learn kanji recognition without endless handwriting drills. Here's the recognition-first approach and its trade-offs.
6 min - How to learn
間違えやすい漢字とその見分け方
Some kanji differ by a single stroke. Learn the most notorious look-alike pairs — 人/入, 日/曰, 末/未 — and the trick to never mix them up.
6 min - How to learn
ひらがな・カタカナ・漢字：日本語3つの文字体系
Japanese uses three writing systems at once. Learn what each script is for, why a single sentence mixes all three, and which to learn first.
7 min - How to learn
漢字を本当に覚える最良の方法
Rote copying doesn't work. Spaced repetition, mnemonics, component breakdown, and reading in context do. Here's how to combine them into a system.
8 min - How to learn
日本語が流暢になるには漢字はいくつ必要か
2,136 jōyō kanji cover daily reading, but you can read a lot with far fewer. Here's a realistic kanji count for each milestone from survival to fluency.
7 min - How to learn
漢字の筆順：ほぼ全てをカバーする8つの原則
Stroke order isn't arbitrary — it follows a small set of rules. Learn the 8 core principles and you can write almost any kanji correctly the first time.
7 min - How to learn
部首で漢字を速く覚える：214の構成要素
Kanji aren't random strokes — they're built from a few hundred reusable parts called radicals. Learn the high-value radicals and kanji stop being scary.
8 min - How to learn
音読みと訓読み：漢字に複数の読み方がある理由
Every kanji has Chinese-derived (on'yomi) and native Japanese (kun'yomi) readings. Learn the rule of thumb for which to use and when.
8 min - Kanji by theme
動物の漢字：猫・犬と獣偏
猫 (neko, cat) and 犬 (inu, dog) are gateway animal kanji. Learn their readings and the 犭 radical that marks dozens of other animals.
5 min - Kanji by theme
時間の漢字：日・月・年・時・週
Dates and time rely on a handful of kanji — 日 月 年 時 週. Master their multiple readings and you can read any calendar, clock, or schedule.
7 min - Kanji by theme
色の漢字：赤・青・白・黒など
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
「平和」と「和」の漢字：調和を表す言葉
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
家族の漢字：母・父・兄弟姉妹
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
「竜」と「龍」の漢字：読み方・違い・名前
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
五行の漢字：水・火・土・木・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
漢字の数字 1〜10：読み方・画数・数え方
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
「力」と「強」の漢字：意味・読み方・言葉
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
「愛」と「恋」の漢字：意味・読み方・違い
日本語には愛を表す漢字が二つあります。意味・読み方・使い分けを解説します。
6 min