CHARACTER HOME PAGE

square character style
Kanji 1948

Thank you for visiting this Character Home Page. Below you'll find a synopsis of the essay. If you wish to read the full text, the PDF of the essay is available for purchase to the right.

Synopsis

To understand Japanese writing fully, one needs to know about the three main scripts in which kanji and kana appear. Those styles affect stroke order, stroke count, and above all legibility! This essay contrasts the three main scripts and introduces three more, then focuses on the standard, square style, explaining how it looks and showing where one is most likely to encounter that style.

Revision history:

Feb. 20, 2022: 

  • p. 2, Etymology Box: Added a Henshall etymology and updated the Sears link.
  • p. 7: Added a link to the Kanshudo games.

Oct. 14, 2016: Originally published.

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Kanji PDF
Cover of essay 1948 on 楷, titled "A Square Standard"
Mini Profile
JOYO ON-YOMI
カイ
JOYO KUN-YOMI
None
STROKES13
RADICAL木 (75: tree)
JLPTN1
HALPERN-/929
HENSHALL-/1101
SPAHN4a9.18