kanji
Let an agent explain kanji, relay history, readings, standard lists and learning approaches from linguistics and Japanese government sources, describe the named forms and lists, and distinguish kanji from hanzi in Chinese, hanja in Korean, kana and romaji.
Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled
4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions
Understand What kanji are.
Definition
Definition.
Definition
Definition.
- What are kanji, and how do they differ from hanzi, hanja, kana and romaji? definition
- Is the question about learning, history, computing or a specific character? boundary
Forms
Named forms and lists.
Forms
Forms.
- What are manyogana, shinjitai, kyujitai, Toyo kanji, extended kanji and kuzushiji? definition
- Which entry fits the specific form? action
Linguistics Readings and structure.
Readings
On and kun readings.
Readings
Readings.
- How do on and kun readings work? provenance
- Which references are standard? provenance
Radicals
Radicals and strokes.
Radicals
Radicals.
- How are kanji built from radicals and stroke order? provenance
- Which sources are cited? provenance
Policy Script policy.
Lists
Official lists.
Lists
Lists.
- How did Toyo and Joyo kanji lists and postwar reforms change usage? provenance
- Which entry fits Joyo kanji? action
Computing
Encoding.
Computing
Computing.
- How are kanji encoded in JIS and Unicode? provenance
- Which entry fits Han unification? action
Context History and learning.
History
History.
History
History.
- How were Chinese characters adopted in Japan, and how did manyogana lead to kana? provenance
- Which entry fits Manyoshu? action
Learning
Learning.
Learning
Learning.
- How do Japanese schools and learners study kanji, including the Kanji Kentei? provenance
- Which entry fits Kanji Kentei? action
Classifiers Filled
- Family
- Thing Registry
- Category
- Information and virtual systems
- Entry kind
- thing
- Plane
- INF
- Domain
- INF.MED
- Other names and narrower kinds
- man'yōgana, shinjitai, Tōyō kanji, kyūjitai, extended kanji, kuzushiji, jinmeiyō kanji, ghost characters, JIS level-1 kanji, JIS level-2 kanji, JIS level-3 kanji, JIS level-4 kanji
What it is Filled
The logographic Chinese characters used in the Japanese writing system alongside the hiragana and katakana syllabaries, adopted from about the 5th century, read with Chinese-derived on readings and native kun readings, with historical and standardised forms the registry aliases name, including manyogana, kanji used phonetically in early texts such as the Manyoshu, the kyujitai traditional forms, the shinjitai simplified forms adopted after 1946, the Toyo kanji list of 1850 characters of 1946, extended characters beyond official lists, and kuzushiji cursive simplified forms; the Joyo kanji list of 2010 contains 2136 characters.
Why it exists Filled
Let an agent explain kanji, relay history, readings, standard lists and learning approaches from linguistics and Japanese government sources, describe the named forms and lists, and distinguish kanji from hanzi in Chinese, hanja in Korean, kana and romaji.
Distinguishing features Filled
- Logographic
- Multiple readings
- Standardised lists
- Mixed with kana
What robots and AI may and may not do Filled
Must not
- Present a wrong reading or meaning confidently.
- Confuse Japanese kanji usage with Chinese usage without saying so.
- Produce kanji tattoos or designs with wrong or offensive meanings.
- Mock learners' mistakes.
Only with a human decision
- Approving kanji for a permanent use such as a tattoo or sign.
May
- Explain kanji and their role alongside kana in Japanese writing.
- Give readings and meanings with sources such as official character lists.
- Help learners study kanji.
Moral aspects Filled
- Mistranslated characters on bodies or products embarrass and offend.
- Writing is central to Japanese culture.
Who is affected
- Learners
- Japanese speakers
- People getting tattoos
Owners Filled
Steward
Nobody owns a script; Japan's government sets official lists for education.
Links to other meta-models Filled
parent
- Q3953107 - registry parent class
- Q56070706 - registry parent class
related
- logographic writing system - in registry terms
- Chinese characters
- hiragana - and katakana
- hanja
What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled
Identity and identifiers required Filled
- Vercy registry: vr.tr.kanji
- Wikidata: Q82772 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q82772)
Direct properties not applicable Not applicable
- Joyo kanji: 2136 characters - 2010 revision
- Toyo kanji: 1850 characters - 1946
- Jinmeiyo kanji for names: about 860 characters - varies with revisions
Plane INF: no invented physical properties.
Recognition optional Filled
- Chinese characters used in Japanese
- Manyogana, shinjitai, Toyo kanji, kyujitai, extended kanji, kuzushiji
- Hanzi are Chinese usage; hanja are Korean usage; kana are syllabaries; romaji is Latin transcription
- Complex characters built from strokes and radicals, written in grid-like squares.
Capabilities and actions required Filled
- explain the script
- relay history and readings
- describe named forms and lists
- distinguish related scripts
Hazards and failure modes required Filled
- Assuming one reading per character
- Confusing Japanese and Chinese simplified forms
- Mojibake from encoding mismatches
Standards and interfaces required Filled
- Joyo Kanji list issued by the Japanese government
- JIS X 0208 and JIS X 0213 character sets
- Unicode CJK Unified Ideographs
Context of use required Filled
- Writing Japanese.
- Joyo kanji
- Jinmeiyo kanji
- kyujitai and shinjitai forms
- manyogana
- kokuji or Japanese-made characters
- cursive and simplified forms
Sources Filled
- Wikidata item Q82772: kanji - identity and sense of the item
- Wikipedia: Kanji - general description of the item
Open questions
- Should the named lists and forms be separate entries?
- How should Japanese government sources be linked?
- Which entry should extended kanji point to, as it is ambiguous?
Machine files
Provenance
thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed
Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q82772/spec.json