Should you learn the jōyō kanji or follow JLPT levels?
· Avinash Kumar
Kanji Mnemonics runs on iPhone and iPad. The app is available in English, French, German, Spanish and Portuguese.
The jōyō kanji are Japan’s official list of 2,136 characters for general use, revised in 2010. JLPT levels are steps for learners, and the kanji usually assigned to them come almost entirely from that same list. So it’s a question of order, not content: JLPT order if you’re preparing for the test or learning as an adult, school order if you’re following Japanese textbooks.
The lists
| List | Size | Who uses it |
|---|---|---|
| Jōyō | 2,136 | Newspapers, government, general writing |
| Kyōiku (school grades 1-6) | 1,026 | Japanese elementary schools |
| Jinmeiyō | 863 | Extra kanji allowed in personal names |
| JLPT N5-N1 | ~2,000 (estimated) | Learners and the test |
School order vs JLPT order
School order starts with simple shapes and children’s vocabulary: 一, 二, 山, 川, 虫 (insect), 貝 (shellfish). JLPT order starts with what an adult needs first: 円 (yen), 駅 (station), 会社 (company).
Which to follow
- Preparing for the JLPT: JLPT order.
- Living or working in Japan: JLPT order, plus kanji you meet daily (station names, menus).
- Children in Japanese schools or heritage learners: school order, so it matches their textbooks.
- Reading everything: the full jōyō list. N1 gets you most of the way.
Rare kanji outside the lists
Names, place names and literature use kanji outside jōyō. Learn those when you meet them.
Kanji Mnemonics (my app) is ordered by JLPT level, N5 to N1, with a mnemonic story and picture for each kanji. Its Today’s Kanji widget shows one on your Home Screen or Lock Screen.
Related: JLPT N2 and N1 kanji, how many kanji you need and the Kanji Mnemonics guides.
Questions people ask
- How many jōyō kanji are there?
- 2,136, in the list revised by Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs in 2010.
- What are kyōiku kanji?
- The 1,026 jōyō kanji taught in Japanese elementary schools, split by grade.
- Are JLPT kanji the same as jōyō kanji?
- Mostly. The kanji usually assigned to N5 through N1 come almost entirely from the jōyō list, ordered by usefulness for learners rather than by school grade.
Kanji Mnemonics
Picture-book mnemonics for every JLPT kanji, N5 to N1, with a Today's Kanji widget.