A List of Kokuji ( )

; mata; bata crotch; thigh; groin

; omokage; tei
kuruma jinricksha; rickshaw
.; ; ; ; ;
hatara.ku; d; ryuku; riki; roku; ryoku work

; ikanobori; tako kite

kogarashi wintry wind
; . nagi; na.gu lull; calm
; momme; me monme; 3.75 grams
.; .; .; ; ;
nio.u; nio.i; nio.waseru; ori; k; sagi fragrant; stink;
glow; insinuate

kamasu straw bag

. saso.u invite; entice
.; . ; ku.u; ku.rau; jiki eat; drink;
receive (a blow)

ton tonnage

 hanashi talk
akutsu low-lying land
mama steep slope
; ; nuta; tai; dai swamp; wetlands;
muddy fields

; hei; bei fence; wall

ama title of a Noh play
; kaka; kak wife (vulg)
tge mountain peak; mountain pass;
climax; crest

. kora.eru endure
moku woodworker
soma timber; lumber; woodcutter
waku frame; framework; spindle;
spool; bounding-box
masu measuring box
; ; masa; masame;
masaki straight grain; spindle tree
; tsuga; toga hemlock
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 tochi horse chestnut

; kunigi; kunugi oak used
for charcoal
shide type of deciduous birch tree
sakaki sacred Shinto tree
kashi evergreen oak
. mushi.ru pluck; pick; tear
neta wetland; marsh
tatsu foot warmer
dekaguramu 10 grams
kiroguramu kilogram; 1000
grams
deshiguramu decigram
miriguramu milligram
hekutoguramu hectogram;
100 grams
senchiguramu centigram

; ; -; ; hata;
hatake; -batake; kama; mama farm; field;
garden; one's specialty
; ; hatake; hata; hana
field; farm; garden
shaku spasms
dekarittoru decalitre
kirorittoru kilolitre
miririttoru millilitre
deshirittoru decilitre
hekutorittoru hectolitre
senchirittoru centilitre
sasara bamboo whisk
dekamtoru dekametre
momi unhulled rice
kiromtoru kilometer
; miri; mirimtoru
millimeter
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hekutomtoru

hectometre
; senchi;
senchimtoru centimeter
. odo.su the thread/braid (of
armour)
; shika; shikato certainly
; ; ; yuki; tara; sori;
setsu snow
; goza; za mat; matting
kamishimo old ceremonial
garb; samurai garb
yuki sleeve length
tsuma skirt
tasuki cord to hold up sleeves
j command
.; shitsu.keru; shitsuke
training
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 yagate soon after; presently;

almost; all but; no more than; after all
. ; . sube.ru; sube.rasu
glide; skate; slip; fail in exams

4454 8FBB

tsuji crossing;

crossroad; street corners

-.; .; .; -.; .;
; -ko.mu; ko.mu; ko.mi; -ko.mi;
ko.meru; komi; gome crowded; mixture; in
bulk; included
; totemo; tote some way or
other; very
by rivet; tack; thumbtack
kazari metal jewelry
bu tin plate
kasugai clamp
yari spear; javelin

. tsuka.eru to be obstructed; to
be blocked
; .; . yuri; yu.ru; yu.reru
shake while rinsing; pan for gold
tomo archer's arm protector
oroshi wind from mountains
; udon; un Japanese noodles
kajika bullhead
konoshiro gizzard shad
; ; ; ; hae; haya; kai;
ge; gai dace (carp)
; asari; ugui short necked
clam; dace; chub
kazunoko yellow fish (herring)
eggs (sushi)
kochi flathead (fish)
; namazu; nen fresh-water
catfish
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; shachihoko; shachi
fabulous dolphin-like fish; killer whale
iwashi sardine
hatahata sandfish
; tara; setsu codfish
kisu sillaginoid
shigi snipe
; maro; ma I; you
Kokuji characters include:
Shigi ( snipe)
Kochi ( flathead)
Namazu ( catfish)
Iwashi ( sardine)
Tara ( cod)
Shachi ( orca)
Sakaki ( - Cleyera japonica, a species of evergreen tree)
Toge ( - mountain pass)
Hatake ( cultivated field)
Tsuji ( crossroads)
Nuta ( swamp, wetlands)
Sasa ( bamboo grass)
Momi ( unhulled rice)
Goza ( mat)
Kamasu ( straw bag)
Hei ( fence or wall)
Waku ( frame)
Tako ( kite)
Momme ( a measurement of 3.75 grams)
Kuruma ( rickshaw)
Ama ( title of a Noh play)
Udon ( udon, Japanese noodles)

Tochi ( horse chestnut)

Shiboru ( to squeeze)

Kokuji
Kokuji or Wasei Kanji () are Kanji that were created in Japan. Most only have
KUN readings, but there are some that have ON readings according to their phonetics. Some were even
made to represent things of the West, making some Kokuji only have ON readings. Many are rare, but
some are very important.

Sign used to end a letter.

Crotch; thigh; fork

Vestige; image; looks; remnant;

trace

Rickshaw; jinrikisha

To work

Historically a different character

than the in

Kite

Calm; lull

Cold wintry wind

Monme 3.75 grams

I
Smell; glow; insinuate; stink;
fragrant

Straw bag

To eat; to drink; to receive a blow

Tonnage

To invite; to entice

Talk

Used in place names

Floodgate; sluice; pen-stock

Low-lying ground

Steep slope

Wetlands; swamp; muddy fields

Cliff
Low ground; mountain pass; ancient
kuni
Garbage
Wall; fence

Title of a Noh play

Loud talking
Vulgar term for wife

Used in proper names

Level spot part-way up a mountain

Shrine in a mountain

Mountain peak; mountain crest;

crest; climax; mountain pass

Used only as a phoneme

To endure

Floodgate; sluice; pen-stock

Woodworker

Grove; woods

Birch; maple

Woodcutter; lumber; wood; timber

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Frame; bounding-box; framework;

spindle; spool

Measuring box

Measuring box

Cryptomeria; Japanese cedar

Drum/gong stick; type of tree

Spindle tree; straight grain
Type of evergreen tree
Type of evergreen camphor tree

Horse chestnut

Stable; horse chestnut; kind of oak

Base of a mountain

Japanese sumac

Container used for pouring water

Type of deciduous birch

Sacred Shinto tree

Needle juniper

Hokuso tree

Evergreen oak

Hemlock

Oak used for charcoal

Oak used for charcoal

Japanese storax; used in proper

names

Oak; mooring pole

Snow

Keyaki; zelkova tree

Reel

Maple

Japanese star anise

A young striped mullet

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To pick; to pluck; to tear

To pluck out hair

To pluck; to pick; to tear

Now; well
Wetlands

Historically a different character

than the in

Foot warmer

Decagram

Kilogram

Ton

Decigram

Milligram

Hectogram

Centigram

Surplice

Field; farm; garden; one's specialty;

patch

Spasm

Oyster

Decaliter

Kiloliter

Hectoliter

Deciliter

Hectoliter

Field; farm; garden

Gap; gorge; ravine

Centiliter
Quiver

Bamboo grass

Fish-trap; weir

Flag

Bamboo whisk

Unhulled rice

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Used in proper names

Chaff; rice hulls

Malt

Chaff; rice hulls

Decameter

Kilometer

Millimeter

Hectometer

Reel; skein

To braid armor
A method of dyeing

Centimeter

Splashed pattern dyeing or weaving

Tie-dyeing

Certainly

Snow
Gland
Vagina

This character is historically a

different character from the in

Sled; sleigh

Mat

Beard grain; pampas grass

Tobacco

Bog; wetlands

A surname

Abalone; dry fish

Used in a surname

Shrimp

A kind of bivalve

Mantis; toad

Awning; cover; hood; top

Samurai garb

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Sleeve length

Skirt

Sash

Command

To train; to discipline

Soon; presently; shortly; before

long; in the course of time; in due
time; no more than; all but; after all;
almost

Sleigh; sled

To slip; to slide

Crossroad; street corners

To enter; to be crowded; to be
included

Ravine; valley

Social position

Very; some way or another

Bravo; good job

Battleaxe

Holmium; pattern on a sword blade

Piece of metal encircling the base of

a Japanese blade

Rivet; thumbtack

Metal jewelry

Metal plate

Piece of metal encircling the base of

a Japanese blade

Clamp

Clamp

Spear; javelin

To be obstructed

To pan for gold; to shake while

rinsing

Raindrop; trickle; drop

Brazer

Clasps

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Wind from mountains

Udon

Flatfish; flounder

Bullhead

Gizzard shod

Dace

Dace; chub; short necked clam

Yellow fish eggs in sushi

Salmon
Bullhead; flathead; rockfish; razor
clam
Redlip mollet
Lamprey; louch
Yellowtail

Bonito

Flathead

Fresh-water catfish

Fresh-water catfish

Killer whale

Sand-fish

Sand-fish

Codfish

Sillaginoid

Conger; see eel

Flathead

Mahimahi

A type of fish
Angler-fish

Sardine

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Japanese halfbeak

Sillaginoid

Eurasian jay

Japanese crested bis

Snipe

Grebe

Plover

Kite bird

Japanese grosbeak

Thrush

Green-finch;light yellow green

I; you
A kind of chinaware

Cannon

"Common" Kokuji
These kokuji are used fairly often. They are "common use" kokuji. It'd be understanding
if you couldn't read the kanji here, because these kanji are of a somewhat higher level. If
you can't read the hiragana, though, consider learning it (it's a good way to start learning
Japanese).
Obviously there aren't many of them in the "common" category. This is probably
because all things that are actually common probably had a kanji from China already.
Definitely and are very useful. The others are alright too, though I think those are
the two most recognizable ones. In general, though, kokuji tend to be on the more
"difficult" side of the kanji spectrum in that they don't usually show up as much. Even
the "common" list has kanji that kanji that isn't so common. Just imagine what happens
when we look at kokuji that are "less common." Wait, you don't have to imagine, let's
look right now.

"Less Common" Kokuji

There are a lot more kanji that fall within the "less common kokuji" category. These are
kanji that you may not see every day, but they're common enough where they (might) be
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worth learning, at least some day when you're at a pretty advanced level. These are
going to be things that exist in Japan but don't exist in China (or aren't common enough
in China to get their own kanji). To solve this problem the Japanese created their own
kanji.

Kanji

On Kun
Meaning
n/a
Sardine
n/a
Evergreen Oak
n/a
Kilometer
n/a
Horse Chestnut
n/a
(Used In Names)
n/a
Drink, Eat
n/a
Sacred Shinto Tree
n/a
Bamboo Grass
n/a
Snipe (Bird)
n/a
Dripping, Trickle
n/a
Japanese Cedar
Gland

n/a
Centimeter
n/a
Kite
n/a
Codfish
n/a
Crossroad
n/a
Hemlock
n/a
Horse Chestnut
n/a
Tonnage, Ton
n/a
Calm, Lull
n/a Birch, Maple
n/a
Fragrant, Stink
n/a
Gap, Gorge
n/a
Farm, Field
n/a
Talk
n/a
Spindle Tree
n/a
Crotch, Groin
n/a
I, You
n/a
Millimeter
n/a
Woodworker
n/a
Unhulled Rice
n/a
Spear

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Kanji On Kun
n/a

Meaning
Tack, Thumbtack

There's some interesting items in here, I think. You get some fun insight into
Japan as well. What's common in Japan that wasn't common in China? What
words got their own kanji anyways even though a kanji for them already exists
( comes to mind)? What about non-Chinese and non-Japanese things? Japan
made a kanji for kilometer, tonnage, and millimeter. The best part is the reading
for these things are just , , and . Kind of makes
me laugh, but I have a poor sense of humor.
The best part about all this, though, is figuring out how these kokuji kanji were
put together. For example, the word "gorge" consists of (stone) and
(valley). A "stone valley" is a gorge, makes sense. "Calm/Lull" consists of the
(table) radical and the kanji (stop). I can imagine some kanji-artisan thinking
about how in between earthquakes you have a nice "calm" or "lull" where the
table stops shaking (and presumably you can continue your work writing down
all sorts of made up kanji). Because kokuji are purely meaning based (no
on'yomi to worry about most of the time, so no kanji components taht are there
solely for the reading) it's particularly easy to break apart a kanji and figure out
where it gets its meaning from.
Go ahead and give it a try and share your favorites in the comments. It's
interesting the treasures that you'll find.

Uncommon Kokuji
Uncommon kokuji are just that uncommon. They don't fall within the joyo
kanji or really anything close to the joyo kanji. This is the kind of kanji you
learn when you're a giant kanji nerd hoping to pass the highest levels of the
Kanji Kentei test. There are even kanji in here that go beyond that. It's honestly
pretty nuts.
That being said, there are also a lot of them. Most kokuji kanji fall into the
"uncommon" category. Out of just under 400 kokuji kanji, maybe 50 are worth

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learning maybe. It's interesting stuff, but not something I'd waste my time on if
you have more useful kanji to learn.
If you are interested in the uncommon kokuji though, they're on this kokuji list.
You'll want to find things in (first class) or ("outside the [test]
range"). Basically, even if you know 3,000 kanji, it won't be enough to know all
these particular kanji. The Uncommon Kokuji list falls somewhere between kanji
numbers 3,000 and 6,000 (and possibly beyond). If you decide to jump down
this hole good luck. You'll need it.

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