Back to dictionary
JLPT N118画 · 18 strokesradical 艸freq #1896

clan, enclosure

On'yomi (音読み)

  • ハン

Kun'yomi (訓読み)

Mnemonic

Imagine a clan of warriors training inside a green grassy enclosure, their battle cries echoing in the air, surrounded by a protective wall of plants.

About this kanji

The kanji 藩 (はん) primarily means ‘clan’ or ‘enclosure,’ especially in historical contexts referring to feudal domains in Japan. It is typically used in noun forms, as it does not have a common verb usage. Some common compounds include 藩主 (はんし), which means ‘feudal lord,’ and 藩士 (はんし), referring to the retainers or samurai serving a daimyo. You might also encounter 各藩 (かくはん), meaning ‘each (feudal) domain.’ This kanji often appears in discussions about Japan’s feudal era, so it’s helpful to understand it in that context.

Example sentences

  • 江戸時代の藩は多彩だ。

    The feudal domains in the Edo period were diverse.

Meanings across languages

English
clan, enclosure
Tiếng Việt
họ, chuồng
日本語
藩, 囲い
한국어
씨족, 울타리
中文
藩, 围栏
id
klan
th
ตระกูล
es
clan
fr
clan
de
Clan
pt
clã

Common compounds

  • 藩主はんしゅfeudal lord, daimyo
  • 藩士はんしretainer of a daimyo
  • 各藩かくはんeach (feudal) domain, each fief
  • 旧藩きゅうはんformer (feudal) domain, former fief
  • 同藩どうはんthe same domain, the same province
  • 藩学はんがくhan school, school established by a daimyo for educating the children of the domain's retainers
  • 藩閥はんばつclanship, clannism, clan favoritism
  • 藩邸はんていresidence maintained by a daimyo in Edo

Want to actually learn this kanji?

The dictionary is one view. The Kanji 360 app wraps every character with mnemonic images, audio readings, stroke-order animation, story context, and SRS scheduling — free to start on iPhone, iPad, and Android.