In the previous article, we saw the Traditional Chinese advantage — over half of Japanese kanji are identical to Traditional Chinese. So what about Simplified Chinese readers? No advantage at all?
Not at all. While the numbers are smaller, there are still plenty of Japanese kanji that are completely identical to Simplified Chinese. The reason is fascinating: Japan and mainland China independently used similar methods to simplify certain traditional characters.
This article showcases 20 representative characters to reveal the Simplified Chinese reader's head start.
Core Kanji Table
Japanese Kanji = Simplified Chinese (Perfectly Identical)
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Traditional Chinese | Common Words |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 来 | ライ (rai) | く (ku)・こ (ko) | come | 來 | 来る (くる, to come), 将来 (しょうらい, future) |
| 国 | コク (koku) | くに (kuni) | country | 國 | 日本国 (にほんこく, Japan), 外国 (がいこく, foreign country) |
| 会 | カイ (kai)・エ (e) | あ (a) | meet | 會 | 会社 (かいしゃ, company), 会議 (かいぎ, meeting) |
| 体 | タイ (tai)・テイ (tei) | からだ (karada) | body | 體 | 体育 (たいいく, physical education), 体験 (たいけん, experience) |
| 画 | ガ (ga)・カク (kaku) | — | picture | 畫 | 映画 (えいが, movie), 計画 (けいかく, plan) |
| 万 | マン (man)・バン (ban) | — | ten thousand | 萬 | 一万 (いちまん, 10,000), 万年筆 (まんねんひつ, fountain pen) |
| 号 | ゴウ (gō) | — | number | 號 | 番号 (ばんごう, number), 信号 (しんごう, traffic signal) |
| 写 | シャ (sha) | うつ (utsu) | copy, photo | 寫 | 写真 (しゃしん, photograph), 写す (うつす, to copy) |
| 争 | ソウ (sō) | あらそ (araso) | compete | 爭 | 戦争 (せんそう, war), 争う (あらそう, to compete) |
| 当 | トウ (tō) | あ (a) | hit, this | 當 | 当然 (とうぜん, naturally), 当たる (あたる, to hit) |
More Identical Characters
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Traditional Chinese | Common Words |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 医 | イ (i) | — | medicine | 醫 | 医者 (いしゃ, doctor), 医学 (いがく, medical science) |
| 学 | ガク (gaku) | まな (mana) | study | 學 | 学校 (がっこう, school), 学生 (がくせい, student) |
| 点 | テン (ten) | — | point | 點 | 満点 (まんてん, perfect score), 欠点 (けってん, flaw) |
| 面 | メン (men) | おも (omo)・つら (tsura) | face, surface | 面 | 面白い (おもしろい, interesting), 表面 (ひょうめん, surface) |
| 断 | ダン (dan) | ことわ (kotowa)・た (ta) | cut, refuse | 斷 | 判断 (はんだん, judgment), 断る (ことわる, to refuse) |
| 区 | ク (ku) | — | district | 區 | 地区 (ちく, district), 区別 (くべつ, distinction) |
| 双 | ソウ (sō) | ふた (futa) | pair | 雙 | 双子 (ふたご, twins), 双方 (そうほう, both sides) |
| 灯 | トウ (tō) | ひ (hi) | lamp | 燈 | 電灯 (でんとう, electric light), 灯台 (とうだい, lighthouse) |
| 条 | ジョウ (jō) | — | article, strip | 條 | 条件 (じょうけん, condition), 条約 (じょうやく, treaty) |
| 機 | キ (ki) | はた (hata) | machine | 機 | 飛行機 (ひこうき, airplane), 機会 (きかい, opportunity) |
Coincidence or Inevitability?
Mainland China and Japan independently carried out their own kanji simplification, yet many results overlap. This isn't coincidence — both sides used similar simplification strategies:
Shared Simplification Methods
| Method | Description | Japanese Example | Chinese Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outline only | Keep the frame, simplify inside | 國→国 | 國→国 |
| Remove strokes | Drop redundant strokes | 學→学 | 學→学 |
| Use cursive | Adopt cursive script forms | 來→来 | 來→来 |
| Replace parts | Swap complex components | 體→体 | 體→体 |
Similar strategies naturally led to similar results for many characters.
Japan-Only Simplifications
However, some Japanese simplifications are unique, with no counterpart in Simplified Chinese:
| Traditional | Japanese | Simplified | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 圓 | 円 | 圆 | All three differ |
| 廣 | 広 | 广 | All three differ |
| 齒 | 歯 | 齿 | All three differ |
| 辯 | 弁 | 辩 | Japan most radical |
| 豐 | 豊 | 丰 | All three differ |
Numbers Comparison
| Traditional Chinese Readers | Simplified Chinese Readers | |
|---|---|---|
| Identical characters | ~800+ | ~200+ |
| Highly similar | ~400+ | ~300+ |
| Need to learn new | ~900 | ~1,600 |
Simplified Chinese readers do have more characters to learn, but here's the good news: many traditional characters can be reverse-engineered from Japanese kanji. While studying Japanese kanji, you'll also pick up many Traditional Chinese characters — a two-for-one deal.
Practical Tips
1. Lock In the 200+ Identical Characters First
These characters require zero effort on form — you only need to learn Japanese pronunciation. Maximum efficiency.
2. Use Traditional Chinese as a Bridge
Many Japanese kanji = Traditional Chinese ≠ Simplified Chinese. Learning Japanese is a great opportunity to pick up Traditional Chinese too.
3. Watch Out for Japan-Only Simplifications
Characters like 円, 広, and 歯 are uniquely Japanese simplifications, different from both Simplified and Traditional Chinese. These need special attention.
Cultural Note: Why Was Japan's Simplification More Conservative?
When Japan published its "Tōyō Kanji List" in 1946, several factors led to a conservative approach:
- Cultural heritage: Vast classical literature and legal documents used traditional forms
- Calligraphy tradition: Shodō (書道) is an important cultural art
- Gradual principle: Only simplify the most frequent, most complex characters
The result: Japanese kanji preserved many traditional forms, giving Traditional Chinese readers a significant advantage.
Practice
Q1. Which Japanese kanji below matches Simplified Chinese?
A. 東 B. 国 C. 門 D. 書
Show answer
B. 国. Traditional is 「國」; both Japanese and Simplified Chinese simplified to 「国」. A (東/东), C (門/门), D (書/书) — Japanese kept the Traditional form.
Q2. Why did Japan and China end up simplifying some characters the same way?
Show answer
Because both used similar simplification strategies: keep outlines, remove redundant strokes, adopt cursive forms, replace complex components. Similar methods led to similar results.
Q3. What does 写真 mean in Japanese?
Show answer
Photograph. 写 (しゃ) = write/copy, 真 (しん) = truth. 写真 literally means "capture truth" = photograph. Note: In Chinese, 写真 tends to mean artistic/glamour photography, while in Japanese 写真 is just an ordinary "photo."
Q4. What does 円 mean in Japanese? How is it written in Traditional and Simplified Chinese?
Show answer
Yen (Japanese currency unit) / circle. Traditional Chinese writes it as 「圓」, Simplified as 「圆」, and Japanese uniquely simplified it to 「円」. All three are different.
Q5. What's the best strategy for Simplified Chinese readers learning Japanese kanji?
Show answer
Three steps: ① First master the pronunciation of 200+ identical characters ② Use Japanese kanji study to also learn Traditional Chinese — a two-for-one deal ③ Pay special attention to Japan-only simplifications (like 円, 広, 歯).
Summary
- Simplified Chinese readers have an advantage too: about 200+ Japanese kanji are identical to Simplified Chinese
- The reason: Japan and China independently simplified, but used similar strategies, resulting in many coincidental matches
- The 20 kanji in this article (来, 国, 会, 体, 画, 万, 号, 写, 争, 当, 医, 学, 点, 面, 断, 区, 双, 灯, 条, 機) cover the most common Japanese-Simplified matches
- Japan-only simplifications (円, 広, 歯, etc.) need extra memorization
- This concludes the Chinese-Japanese kanji comparison series! Next up: thematic kanji learning — explore Japanese kanji through emotions, food, nature, and more