Japanese Kanji

竿

kan

pole · rod · scale beam

Jinmeiyō (name kanji) · 9 strokes

Readings

  • ONカンkan
  • KUNさおsao

Meaning

Pole, rod, scale beam, violin neck.

Stroke order for 竿

竿 is a Jinmeiyō (name kanji) — used in Japanese personal names and specialised writing. With 9 strokes, it appears in classical literature, place names, and formal documents. Jinmeiyō kanji are officially approved for use in Japanese personal names and may be encountered in legal documents and family registries.

Learn to read Japanese

Start with hiragana and katakana — the foundation of Japanese reading.