Jōyō kanji explained

The are those kanji listed on the, officially announced by the Japanese Ministry of Education. The current list of 2,136 characters was issued in 2010. It is a slightly modified version of the kanji, which was the initial list of secondary school-level kanji standardized after World War II. The list is not a comprehensive list of all characters and readings in regular use; rather, it is intended as a literacy baseline for those who have completed compulsory education, as well as a list of permitted characters and readings for use in official government documents. Due to the requirement that official government documents make use of only kanji and their readings, several rare characters are also included due to their use in the Constitution of Japan, which was being written at the same time the original 1,850-character kanji list was compiled.

The 2,136 kanji in the kanji consist of:

• 1,026 kanji taught in primary school (Grade 1-6) (the kanji)
• 1,110 additional kanji taught in secondary school (Grade 7-9)

Changes from the kanji

In 1981, the kanji replaced the kanji as the standardized list of common kanji. The differences between the two consisted of 95 additional characters, and the simplification of Japanese: [[wikt:燈#Japanese|燈]] as Japanese: [[wikt:灯#Japanese|灯]].

History

• 1923: The Ministry of Education specified 1,962 kanji and 154 simplified characters.
• 1931: The former kanji list was revised and 1,858 characters were specified.
• 1942: 1,134 characters as standard kanji and 1,320 characters as sub- kanji were specified.
• 1946: The 1,850 characters of kanji were adopted by law "as those most essential for common use and everyday communication".^[1] This list included 881 'basic requirement' kanji for elementary school.
• 1981: The 1,945 characters of kanji were adopted, replacing the list of kanji.^[2]
• 2010: The list was revised on 30 November to include an additional 196 characters and remove 5 characters (Japanese: [[wikt:勺#Japanese|勺]], Japanese: [[wikt:銑#Japanese|銑]], Japanese: [[wikt:脹#Japanese|脹]], Japanese: [[wikt:錘#Japanese|錘]], and Japanese: [[wikt:匁#Japanese|匁]]), for a total of 2,136. The amendment also made changes to the readings of kanji present in the previous kanji list. Twenty-eight kanji gained new readings, three kanji lost obscure readings and the of Japanese: [[wikt:側#Japanese|側]] was changed from to .^[3] The 196 additional characters are:^{[3] [4]}

Japanese: '''[[wikt:媛#Japanese|媛]]''' [[wikt:怨#Japanese|怨]] [[wikt:鬱#Japanese|鬱]] [[wikt:唄#Japanese|唄]] [[wikt:淫#Japanese|淫]] [[wikt:咽#Japanese|咽]] '''[[wikt:茨#Japanese|茨]]''' [[wikt:彙#Japanese|彙]] [[wikt:椅#Japanese|椅]] [[wikt:萎#Japanese|萎]] [[wikt:畏#Japanese|畏]] [[wikt:嵐#Japanese|嵐]] [[wikt:宛#Japanese|宛]] [[wikt:顎#Japanese|顎]] [[wikt:曖#Japanese|曖]] [[wikt:挨#Japanese|挨]] [[wikt:韓#Japanese|韓]] [[wikt:鎌#Japanese|鎌]] [[wikt:葛#Japanese|葛]] [[wikt:骸#Japanese|骸]] [[wikt:蓋#Japanese|蓋]] [[wikt:崖#Japanese|崖]] [[wikt:諧#Japanese|諧]] [[wikt:潰#Japanese|潰]] [[wikt:瓦#Japanese|瓦]] [[wikt:牙#Japanese|牙]] [[wikt:苛#Japanese|苛]] [[wikt:俺#Japanese|俺]] [[wikt:臆#Japanese|臆]] '''[[wikt:岡#Japanese|岡]]''' [[wikt:旺#Japanese|旺]] [[wikt:艶#Japanese|艶]] [[wikt:稽#Japanese|稽]] [[wikt:憬#Japanese|憬]] [[wikt:詣#Japanese|詣]] '''[[wikt:熊#Japanese|熊]]''' [[wikt:窟#Japanese|窟]] [[wikt:串#Japanese|串]] [[wikt:惧#Japanese|惧]] [[wikt:錦#Japanese|錦]] [[wikt:僅#Japanese|僅]] [[wikt:巾#Japanese|巾]] [[wikt:嗅#Japanese|嗅]] [[wikt:臼#Japanese|臼]] [[wikt:畿#Japanese|畿]] [[wikt:亀#Japanese|亀]] [[wikt:伎#Japanese|伎]] [[wikt:玩#Japanese|玩]] [[wikt:挫#Japanese|挫]] [[wikt:沙#Japanese|沙]] [[wikt:痕#Japanese|痕]] [[wikt:頃#Japanese|頃]] [[wikt:駒#Japanese|駒]] [[wikt:傲#Japanese|傲]] [[wikt:乞#Japanese|乞]] [[wikt:喉#Japanese|喉]] [[wikt:梗#Japanese|梗]] [[wikt:虎#Japanese|虎]] [[wikt:股#Japanese|股]] [[wikt:舷#Japanese|舷]] [[wikt:鍵#Japanese|鍵]] [[wikt:拳#Japanese|拳]] [[wikt:桁#Japanese|桁]] [[wikt:隙#Japanese|隙]] [[wikt:呪#Japanese|呪]] [[wikt:腫#Japanese|腫]] [[wikt:嫉#Japanese|嫉]] [[wikt:#Japanese|]]/[[wikt:叱#Japanese|叱]] '''[[wikt:鹿#Japanese|鹿]]''' [[wikt:餌#Japanese|餌]] [[wikt:摯#Japanese|摯]] [[wikt:恣#Japanese|恣]] [[wikt:斬#Japanese|斬]] [[wikt:拶#Japanese|拶]] [[wikt:刹#Japanese|刹]] [[wikt:柵#Japanese|柵]] '''[[wikt:埼#Japanese|埼]]''' [[wikt:塞#Japanese|塞]] [[wikt:采#Japanese|采]] [[wikt:戚#Japanese|戚]] [[wikt:脊#Japanese|脊]] [[wikt:醒#Japanese|醒]] [[wikt:凄#Japanese|凄]] [[wikt:裾#Japanese|裾]] [[wikt:須#Japanese|須]] [[wikt:腎#Japanese|腎]] [[wikt:芯#Japanese|芯]] [[wikt:尻#Japanese|尻]] [[wikt:拭#Japanese|拭]] [[wikt:憧#Japanese|憧]] [[wikt:蹴#Japanese|蹴]] [[wikt:羞#Japanese|羞]] [[wikt:袖#Japanese|袖]] [[wikt:汰#Japanese|汰]] [[wikt:遜#Japanese|遜]] [[wikt:捉#Japanese|捉]] [[wikt:踪#Japanese|踪]] [[wikt:痩#Japanese|痩]] [[wikt:曽#Japanese|曽]] [[wikt:爽#Japanese|爽]] [[wikt:遡#Japanese|遡]] [[wikt:狙#Japanese|狙]] [[wikt:膳#Japanese|膳]] [[wikt:箋#Japanese|箋]] [[wikt:詮#Japanese|詮]] [[wikt:腺#Japanese|腺]] [[wikt:煎#Japanese|煎]] [[wikt:羨#Japanese|羨]] [[wikt:鶴#Japanese|鶴]] [[wikt:爪#Japanese|爪]] [[wikt:椎#Japanese|椎]] [[wikt:捗#Japanese|捗]] [[wikt:嘲#Japanese|嘲]] [[wikt:貼#Japanese|貼]] [[wikt:酎#Japanese|酎]] [[wikt:緻#Japanese|緻]] [[wikt:綻#Japanese|綻]] [[wikt:旦#Japanese|旦]] [[wikt:誰#Japanese|誰]] [[wikt:戴#Japanese|戴]] [[wikt:堆#Japanese|堆]] [[wikt:唾#Japanese|唾]] [[wikt:鍋#Japanese|鍋]] [[wikt:謎#Japanese|謎]] '''[[wikt:梨#Japanese|梨]]''' '''[[wikt:奈#Japanese|奈]]''' [[wikt:那#Japanese|那]] [[wikt:丼#Japanese|丼]] [[wikt:貪#Japanese|貪]] [[wikt:頓#Japanese|頓]] '''[[wikt:栃#Japanese|栃]]''' [[wikt:瞳#Japanese|瞳]] [[wikt:藤#Japanese|藤]] [[wikt:賭#Japanese|賭]] [[wikt:妬#Japanese|妬]] [[wikt:塡#Japanese|塡]]<nowiki>[</nowiki>[[wikt:填#Japanese|填]]<nowiki>]</nowiki> [[wikt:溺#Japanese|溺]] [[wikt:諦#Japanese|諦]] '''[[wikt:阜#Japanese|阜]]''' [[wikt:訃#Japanese|訃]] [[wikt:肘#Japanese|肘]] [[wikt:膝#Japanese|膝]] [[wikt:眉#Japanese|眉]] [[wikt:斑#Japanese|斑]] '''[[wikt:阪#Japanese|阪]]''' [[wikt:汎#Japanese|汎]] [[wikt:氾#Japanese|氾]] [[wikt:箸#Japanese|箸]] [[wikt:剝#Japanese|剝]]<nowiki>[</nowiki>[[wikt:剥#Japanese|剥]]<nowiki>]</nowiki> [[wikt:罵#Japanese|罵]] [[wikt:捻#Japanese|捻]] [[wikt:虹#Japanese|虹]] [[wikt:匂#Japanese|匂]] [[wikt:喩#Japanese|喩]] [[wikt:闇#Japanese|闇]] [[wikt:弥#Japanese|弥]] [[wikt:冶#Japanese|冶]] [[wikt:麺#Japanese|麺]] [[wikt:冥#Japanese|冥]] [[wikt:蜜#Japanese|蜜]] [[wikt:枕#Japanese|枕]] [[wikt:昧#Japanese|昧]] [[wikt:勃#Japanese|勃]] [[wikt:頰#Japanese|頰]]<nowiki>[</nowiki>[[wikt:頬#Japanese|頬]]<nowiki>]</nowiki> [[wikt:貌#Japanese|貌]] [[wikt:蜂#Japanese|蜂]] [[wikt:蔑#Japanese|蔑]] [[wikt:璧#Japanese|璧]] [[wikt:餅#Japanese|餅]] [[wikt:蔽#Japanese|蔽]] [[wikt:脇#Japanese|脇]] [[wikt:麓#Japanese|麓]] [[wikt:籠#Japanese|籠]] [[wikt:弄#Japanese|弄]] [[wikt:呂#Japanese|呂]] [[wikt:瑠#Japanese|瑠]] [[wikt:瞭#Japanese|瞭]] [[wikt:侶#Japanese|侶]] [[wikt:慄#Japanese|慄]] [[wikt:璃#Japanese|璃]] [[wikt:藍#Japanese|藍]] [[wikt:辣#Japanese|辣]] [[wikt:拉#Japanese|拉]] [[wikt:沃#Japanese|沃]] [[wikt:瘍#Japanese|瘍]] [[wikt:妖#Japanese|妖]] [[wikt:湧#Japanese|湧]] [[wikt:柿#Japanese|柿]] [[wikt:哺#Japanese|哺]] [[wikt:楷#Japanese|楷]] [[wikt:睦#Japanese|睦]] [[wikt:釜#Japanese|釜]] [[wikt:錮#Japanese|錮]] [[wikt:賂#Japanese|賂]] [[wikt:毀#Japanese|毀]] [[wikt:勾#Japanese|勾]]

Notes and References

1. A Guide to Reading & Writing Japanese, Charles E. Tuttle Co., 1961 Edition
2. "In 1981 the list superseded the old list — the list of Chinese characters which was announced in November 1946 and designated for daily use." -Japan Times editorial, "Revising the list of kanji", Nov. 16, 2008, retrieved 27 May 2009.
3. Web site: 改定常用漢字表、30日に内閣告示 閣議で正式決定. The amended list of kanji receives cabinet notice on 30th: to be officially confirmed in cabinet meeting.. Nihon Keizai Shimbun. ja. 24 November 2010. 1 February 2015. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303235620/http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASDG22043_U0A121C1CR0000/. 3 March 2016.
4. Web site: 「柿」など９字追加、「鷹」は選外 新常用漢字の修正案. Nine kanji such as "Japanese: 柿" added, "Japanese: 鷹" is not selected in the new kanji amendment. Asahi Shimbun. ja. 23 October 2009. 25 October 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20100214104514/http://www.asahi.com/national/update/1023/TKY200910230335.html. 14 February 2010. dead.