Japan Corner

Kanji for ‘Before’ or “In Front Of”: 前 (Mae)

The Japanese kanji for “before” or “In front of” is 前 (mae). The pronunciation of the Kanji 前 is “mae” (まえ) in its kun’yomi (Japanese reading) and “zen” (ゼン) in its on’yomi (Chinese reading). The shape of this kanji is rather simple, and its shape has a clear origin. However, the pronunciations can change based on the word the kanji

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Kanji for Rice (Paddy) Field: 田 (Da)

田 is the kanji for rice field (paddy field) in Japanese. The pronunciation of the Kanji 田 is “ta” (た) in its kun’yomi (Japanese reading) and “den” (デン) in its on’yomi (Chinese reading). The shape of this kanji is rather simple, and its shape has a clear origin. However, in some compounded words, the Japanese pronunciation changes to “da”. A

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Kanji for Fire: 火 (Hi)

The Japanese Kanji for “fire” is 火. The pronunciation of fire’s kanji is “ka” in on’yomi (Chinese reading), and fire in Japanese, i.e., in kun’yomi (Japanese reading), is “Hi.” Please note that the Kunyomi pronunciation of “Hi” is like the word “He” in English. Fire’s Kanji 火 is constructed with four strokes. It is part of theJLPT N5syllabus (please check

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Kanji for Car or Vehicle: 車 (Kuruma or Sha)

The Japanese Kanji for the “car” or “vehicle” is 車. As a standalone Kanji, it is pronounced as “Kuruma” but when it appears in combination with other Kanji, the pronunciation is “Sha” – for example, Densha (電車), meaning Train or Jitensha (自転車), meaning Bicycle. Car’s Kanji 車 is constructed with 7 strokes. This Kanji is a part of the JLPT

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51 Most Common Kanji Radicals for Jōyō Kanji and Their Meanings

Kanji radicals, often termed “部首” (bushu) in Japanese, are kanji characters’ foundational components or building blocks. Therefore, these elemental parts are essential clues to a kanji’s meaning or pronunciation. Moreover, these common Kanji radicals offer a systematic way to categorize and recall the vast characters. By remembering these most common Kanji radicals and their meanings, one gains insights into the

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How to Learn Kanji Fast: Origin of Kanji Characters and Mnemonics

As a beginner learning Kanji, have you ever wondered about the best ways to learn and remember Kanji Quickly? You have come to the right place to learn and remember Kanji quickly, which is essential to mastering the Japanese language. Kanji is the intricate system of pictographic and, often, ideographic characters that forms a crucial part of the written Japanese

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Complete List of JLPT N3 Kanji

Here is the complete list of JLPT N3 Kanji to help you with systematic preparation to study for JLPT N3 certification. For JLPT N3, you need to learn 370 new Kanji. Overall, you need to remember about 620 Kanji for JLPT N3, which includes the Kanji characters you learned for JLPT N5 and N4. Please check the JLPT N5 Kanji

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Complete List of JLPT N4 Kanji

Here is the complete list of JLPT N4 Kanji to help you with systematic preparation to study for JLPT N4 certification. You need to remember about 250 Kanji for JLPT N4, which includes the Kanji characters you learned for JLPT N5. Considering this, we have prepared the complete list for JLPT Kanji here. The following list of JLPT N4 Kanji

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Complete List of JLPT N5 Kanji

We compiled the complete list of JLPT N5 Kanji as it is the first step for systematic preparation to study for JLPT N5 certification. You need to remember 80 Kanji to pass the Kanji test with flying colors for JLPT N5. It is not difficult if you make a daily target to remember at least 3 to 5 kanji daily.

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Kawaii Culture: The Culture of Cuteness

Kawaii culture in Japan is centered around the appeal of cuteness and innocence, characterized by childlike, charming qualities and playful elements. Japan, known for its cultural phenomena that touch every corner of the globe, has given the world another captivating phenomenon known as Kawaii culture. The word ‘Kawaii’ (可愛い or かわいい) means ‘cute’ or ‘lovable.’ It was originally used to

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