Japan is one of the most disaster-prone countries on Earth. Earthquakes, typhoons, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions — the Japanese archipelago sits at the junction of four tectonic plates, experiencing extreme natural events year after year.
Because of this, Japanese has an exceptionally rich vocabulary for climate and disaster. These kanji appear not only in news broadcasts but are woven deeply into everyday conversation and Japan's world-famous disaster preparedness culture. This article teaches you 20 kanji for climate and disasters.
Core Kanji Table
Climate
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 候 | コウ (kō) | そうろう (sōrō) | climate, season | 気候 (きこう, climate), 天候 (てんこう, weather conditions) | 気候 = climate, 天候 = weather conditions |
| 温 | オン (on) | あたた (atata) | warm | 温度 (おんど, temperature), 温暖 (おんだん, warm) | 温泉 (おんせん) = hot spring! |
| 熱 | ネツ (netsu) | あつ (atsu) | hot (touch) | 熱帯 (ねったい, tropics), 熱中症 (ねっちゅうしょう, heatstroke) | 熱中症 = heatstroke, a major summer issue in Japan |
| 寒 | カン (kan) | さむ (samu) | cold | 寒い (さむい, cold), 寒波 (かんぱ, cold wave) | 寒波 = cold snap |
| 暑 | ショ (sho) | あつ (atsu) | hot (weather) | 暑い (あつい, hot), 猛暑 (もうしょ, extreme heat) | Key: 熱い vs 暑い — touch-hot vs weather-hot |
Water Disasters
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 旱 | カン (kan) | ひでり (hideri) | drought | 旱魃 (かんばつ, drought), 旱害 (かんがい, drought damage) | 旱魃 — 魃 is an ancient drought demon |
| 洪 | コウ (kō) | — | flood | 洪水 (こうずい, flood), 大洪水 (だいこうずい, great flood) | Floods are a risk every rainy season (梅雨) |
| 潮 | チョウ (chō) | しお (shio) | tide | 潮 (しお, tide), 高潮 (たかしお, storm surge) | Storm surges during typhoons are extremely dangerous |
| 波 | ハ (ha) | なみ (nami) | wave | 波 (なみ, wave), 津波 (つなみ, tsunami) | 津波 became a global word |
| 津 | シン (shin)・ツ (tsu) | つ (tsu) | harbor, port | 津波 (つなみ, tsunami), 津 (つ, Tsu city) | Tsu is a city in Mie Prefecture |
Earth Disasters
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 震 | シン (shin) | ふる (furu) | shake, quake | 地震 (じしん, earthquake), 震度 (しんど, seismic intensity) | 震度 = Japan's unique intensity scale |
| 災 | サイ (sai) | わざわい (wazawai) | disaster | 災害 (さいがい, disaster), 防災 (ぼうさい, disaster prevention) | 防災 is central to Japanese culture |
| 崩 | ホウ (hō) | くず (kuzu) | collapse | 崩壊 (ほうかい, collapse), 山崩れ (やまくずれ, landslide) | Landslides are common after heavy rain |
| 噴 | フン (fun) | ふ (fu) | erupt, spout | 噴火 (ふんか, eruption), 噴出 (ふんしゅつ, ejection) | 噴火 = volcanic eruption |
| 溶 | ヨウ (yō) | と (to) | melt, dissolve | 溶岩 (ようがん, lava), 溶ける (とける, to melt) | 溶岩 = lava |
Atmospheric
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 濁 | ダク (daku) | にご (nigo) | murky, turbid | 濁流 (だくりゅう, muddy torrent), 濁る (にごる, to become murky) | 濁流 = the muddy water in landslides |
| 漂 | ヒョウ (hyō) | ただよ (tadayo) | drift, float | 漂流 (ひょうりゅう, drifting), 漂う (ただよう, to drift) | 漂流 = adrift |
| 濃 | ノウ (nō) | こ (ko) | dense, thick | 濃霧 (のうむ, dense fog), 濃度 (のうど, concentration) | 濃霧注意報 = dense fog advisory |
| 霞 | カ (ka) | かすみ (kasumi) | haze, mist | 霞 (かすみ, haze), 霞ヶ関 (かすみがせき, Kasumigaseki) | Kasumigaseki = synonymous with Japan's government |
| 靄 | アイ (ai) | もや (moya) | mist, haze | 靄 (もや, mist), 朝靄 (あさもや, morning mist) | Thinner than fog (霧); better visibility |
Deep Dive: Tsunami — A Japanese Word That Went Global
"Tsunami" is one of the few Japanese words adopted by virtually every language on Earth.
- 津波 (つなみ) = 津 (harbor) + 波 (wave)
- Original meaning: "harbor wave" — tsunamis amplify dramatically when entering shallow harbors
- After the 1896 Meiji Sanriku Tsunami, English-language reports began using the word "tsunami"
- After the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, "tsunami" became universally understood worldwide
Key earthquake vocabulary:
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 地震 | じしん | earthquake | 地 (earth) + 震 (shake) |
| 震度 | しんど | seismic intensity | Japan's unique scale, 0–7 (includes 5-lower, 5-upper, 6-lower, 6-upper) |
| マグニチュード | — | magnitude | Katakana from English "magnitude" |
| 余震 | よしん | aftershock | Smaller quakes following the main event |
| 震源 | しんげん | epicenter | The origin point of an earthquake |
Deep Dive: Japan's Disaster Preparedness Culture
Japan's disaster preparedness is the most advanced in the world — because the country has no other choice.
- 防災 (ぼうさい) = prevention + disaster — disaster preparedness
- 避難 (ひなん) = avoid + difficulty — evacuation
- 避難所 (ひなんじょ) = evacuation shelter — every neighborhood has a designated shelter
- 緊急地震速報 (きんきゅうじしんそくほう) = Earthquake Early Warning system — alerts arrive seconds to tens of seconds before shaking
- 防災の日 (ぼうさいのひ) = September 1st — commemorating the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, with nationwide drills
- 防災グッズ (ぼうさいグッズ) = disaster preparedness supplies — many Japanese households keep an emergency go-bag ready
Japanese elementary school students practice evacuation drills (避難訓練, ひなんくんれん) regularly from first grade, learning to "drop, cover, and hold on" during earthquakes.
Practice
Q1. Both 熱い and 暑い are read あつい. What is the difference?
Show answer
熱い means hot to the touch (This coffee is hot = コーヒーが熱い). 暑い means the weather is hot (Today is hot = 今日は暑い). One is tactile heat, the other is atmospheric heat.
Q2. Why is a tsunami called a "harbor wave"?
Show answer
Tsunamis are barely noticeable in the open ocean, but their waves amplify dramatically when entering shallow water and harbors. Ancient fishermen first noticed abnormally large waves at harbors (津), hence the name 津波 — "harbor wave."
Q3. What is the difference between 震度 and マグニチュード?
Show answer
マグニチュード (magnitude) measures the total energy released by an earthquake — it is the same worldwide. 震度 (しんど, seismic intensity) measures how strongly a specific location shakes — the same earthquake produces different 震度 readings at different distances. Japan's scale runs from 0 to 7 (with sub-levels 5-lower, 5-upper, 6-lower, 6-upper — 10 levels total).
Q4. What is the difference between 霧, 靄, and 霞?
Show answer
All three describe reduced visibility due to moisture in the air, but they differ in density. 霧 (きり, fog) is the thickest, with visibility under 1 km. 靄 (もや, mist) is thinner, with visibility between 1–10 km. 霞 (かすみ, haze) often describes a poetic haziness over distant mountains. In meteorological terms, only 霧 and 靄 are used officially; 霞 is more literary.
Q5. When is 防災の日 and why was that date chosen?
Show answer
September 1st. On September 1, 1923, the Great Kanto Earthquake (関東大震災, かんとうだいしんさい) struck, killing over 100,000 people. The Japanese government designated this date as "Disaster Prevention Day," and schools and institutions across the country hold disaster drills every year on this day.
Summary
- 候, 温, 熱, 寒, 暑 — five core climate kanji; remember the difference between 熱い (touch-hot) and 暑い (weather-hot)
- 旱, 洪, 潮, 波, 津 — water disaster kanji; 津波 has become a global word
- 震, 災, 崩, 噴, 溶 — earthquake and volcano kanji, Japan's most frequent natural disasters
- 濁, 漂, 濃, 霞, 靄 — atmospheric and water states; fog > mist > haze (霧 > 靄 > 霞)
- Japan's disaster preparedness culture is the most comprehensive in the world, with the Earthquake Early Warning system (緊急地震速報) being truly one of a kind
Congratulations on completing the final article in the weather series — and the final article in the entire 42-article kanji series! From basic nature kanji all the way to climate and disasters, you have built a complete kanji knowledge system. Keep going!