How to Start Learning Kanji Today: A Beginner’s Guide

A quick guide to what kanji are, how they’re used, and how to study them

Photo by @felipepelaquim on Unsplash

Why does Japanese have three writing systems? Isn’t one enough? For anyone stepping into the world of Japanese, kanji — the most intimidating of the scripts — can feel like staring up at Mount Fuji when you’re dressed for the beach. They’re beautiful and complex but often make learners wonder, “Is Japanese worth the trouble?”

But here’s the thing — they’re not as scary as they seem! With the right mindset and a few actionable strategies, you can start your kanji journey feeling confident and ready to tackle the stumbling blocks that you’ll hit along the way.

So, why should you bother learning kanji? Well, for starters:

• Kanji are essential for reading Japanese fluently. Sure, hiragana and katakana are great, but kanji is where the real magic happens.
• Kanji add nuance and precision. A single kanji can pack a whole concept into one neat little symbol.
• Kanji help differentiate homophones. Words that sound identical often have completely different meanings, but kanji makes it crystal clear.

Let’s dive into kanji — what they are, why they exist, and how people (native speakers and learners…