Research
The Japanese Writing Systems Explained
Hiragana carries grammar, katakana marks foreign words, kanji carry meaning. What each script does, why three is not madness, and where learners get stuck.
Lawrence Arya··10 min
Research
The Jōyō Kanji List Explained, and How to Use It
2,136 characters designated for general use in Japan. What the list is for, what it is not, how it relates to school kanji and the JLPT, and how to use it well.
Lawrence Arya··10 min
Research
Okurigana Explained: The Kana After the Kanji
The kana that complete a word carry the grammar kanji cannot show. What they do, why learners get them wrong, the patterns that help, and how to practise them.
Lawrence Arya··10 min
Research
How Many Kanji Do You Need to Know?
The official jōyō list has 2,136 characters. What that means for reading, why the JLPT needs no handwriting at all, and how small a writing set actually needs to be.
Lawrence Arya··10 min
Research
Kanji Stroke Count Explained, and What It Is For
Stroke count is a lookup index, not a difficulty rating. What counts as one stroke, why high counts are not hard, and where the number genuinely matters.
Lawrence Arya··10 min
Research
On and Kun Readings Explained: Which One Applies
On readings came from Chinese, kun readings are native Japanese. Where they came from, the three patterns that mostly hold, and why writers should care.
Lawrence Arya··10 min
Research
How Long Does It Take to Learn Kanji?
Two to four years for comfortable reading, months for a useful handwriting set, and consistency matters more than method. The arithmetic and the shape of the curve.
Lawrence Arya··11 min
Research
Kanji Radicals Explained, and Why They Matter
A radical is the indexing component, and in practice the word means any recurring part. What each kind of component tells you, which to learn first, and the limits.
Lawrence Arya··10 min