What is Japanese Symbols?
Japanese-Symbols.org is a free online reference dedicated to Japanese writing and its meaning. Whether you're a language learner, a student researching a tattoo, a writer looking for accuracy, or simply someone fascinated by Japanese culture — this site is built for you.
We cover all three Japanese scripts:
- Kanji — logographic characters, each carrying its own meaning and readings. We have over 128 dedicated pages explaining the most searched kanji symbols.
- Hiragana — the foundational Japanese syllabary, used for native words and grammar. Learn it with our free Hiragana.
- Katakana — the angular script used for foreign loanwords and emphasis. Practice it with our Katakana.
Why we built this
Japanese writing is genuinely fascinating — and genuinely misunderstood. The internet is full of incorrect translations, oversimplified kanji meanings, and tattoo disasters that result from a five-second Google search. A character that looks elegant might mean something entirely different from what you think, or carry a nuance that changes everything.
Our goal is straightforward: give you accurate, well-explained information you can actually trust. Every kanji page explains the character's meaning, its readings (on'yomi and kun'yomi), and the cultural context behind it.
On accuracy: Japanese has no direct equivalent for many English concepts. Where a word-for-word translation doesn't exist, we explain what the closest term is and why — rather than giving you a misleading single-character answer.
What you'll find here
- 128+ kanji reference pages — from love (愛) to strength (力) to dragon (龍)
- Interactive trainers — free quiz games to drill all 46 hiragana and katakana characters
- Full alphabet charts — hiragana and katakana side by side on the Japanese Alphabet page
- Blog guides — deeper articles on proverbs, culture, greetings, zodiac, and language learning on the blog
Credits
Kanji stroke order diagrams are provided by KanjiVG © Ulrich Apel, used under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Get in touch
Found an error? Have a suggestion? Want to reach out for any reason? Use the contact page — every message is read personally.
Start exploring
Look up a symbol, train your hiragana, or browse the guides.