Not all kanji are equally important. Some appear everywhere: on signs, in menus, at stations. Here are the 100 most frequent kanji that will be immediately useful in Japan.
Numbers and Time
You'll see these kanji everywhere: prices, schedules, dates.
一
one
ichi, hitotsu
二
two
ni, futatsu
三
three
san, mittsu
四
four
shi/yon, yottsu
五
five
go, itsutsu
六
six
roku, muttsu
七
seven
shichi/nana, nanatsu
八
eight
hachi, yattsu
九
nine
kyū/ku, kokonotsu
十
ten
jū, tō
百
hundred
hyaku
千
thousand
sen
万
ten thousand
man
円
yen (currency)
en
年
year
nen, toshi
月
month, moon
getsu, tsuki
日
day, sun
nichi, hi
時
hour, time
ji, toki
分
minute, part
fun/pun, wakaru
今
now
kon, ima
Places and Directions
Essential for getting around in Japan.
東
east
tō, higashi
西
west
sei, nishi
南
south
nan, minami
北
north
hoku, kita
上
above
jō, ue
下
below
ka, shita
中
center, inside
chū, naka
外
outside
gai, soto
右
right
u, migi
左
left
sa, hidari
前
front
zen, mae
後
behind
go, ushiro
駅
station
eki
口
mouth, exit
kō, kuchi, guchi
入
enter
nyū, hairu
出
exit
shutsu, deru
People and Relationships
人
person
jin/nin, hito
男
man
dan, otoko
女
woman
jo, onna
子
child
shi, ko
父
father
fu, chichi
母
mother
bo, haha
友
friend
yū, tomo
先
before, teacher
sen, saki
生
life, birth
sei, ikiru
Common Actions
見
see
ken, miru
聞
hear
bun, kiku
読
read
doku, yomu
書
write
sho, kaku
話
speak
wa, hanasu
食
eat
shoku, taberu
飲
drink
in, nomu
行
go
kō, iku
来
come
rai, kuru
買
buy
bai, kau
Nature
山
mountain
san, yama
川
river
sen, kawa
海
sea
kai, umi
空
sky
kū, sora
火
fire
ka, hi
水
water
sui, mizu
木
tree
moku, ki
金
gold, metal
kin, kane
土
earth
do, tsuchi
Common Adjectives
大
big
dai/tai, ōkii
小
small
shō, chiisai
新
new
shin, atarashii
古
old
ko, furui
高
tall, expensive
kō, takai
安
cheap, peace
an, yasui
長
long
chō, nagai
白
white
haku, shiroi
黒
black
koku, kuroi
赤
red
seki, akai
Everyday Utility
電
electricity
den
車
car, vehicle
sha, kuruma
店
shop
ten, mise
食
food
shoku
本
book, origin
hon, moto
語
language, word
go, kataru
学
study
gaku, manabu
校
school
kō
国
country
koku, kuni
会
meet
kai, au
How to Use This List
Don't try to memorize all 100 kanji at once. Start with 5 per day, use spaced repetition, and learn each kanji in the context of words. In 3-4 weeks you'll have a solid foundation for getting around in Japan.
