For anyone interested in studying jinmeiyō kanji and wondering where to start, here’s a list of all of the jinmeiyō kanji found in one of the all-time classic Japanese novels: Botchan (坊っちゃん) by Natsume Sōseki (夏目 漱石).
How many jinmeiyō kanji are these in Botchan? Good question! There are approximately 135 of them!
And here they all are, listed in groups or twelve at a time, and given with hiragana, romaji, and their English meanings.
First twelve: 云|漱|貰|栗|蔭|詫|肴|畠|揃|藁|圃|孟
云 (くも, kumo) – cloud
漱 (そそ, soso) – to rinse out one’s mouth
貰 (もら, mora) – to receive
栗 (くり, kuri) – chestnut
蔭 (かげ, kage) – shade, shadow
詫 (ちが, chiga) – excuse, pretext
肴 (さかな, sakana) – food, provisions
畠 (はた, hatake) – field for growing rice or other crops
揃 (そろ, soro) – to become complete, to be all in order
藁 (わら, wara) – straw
圃 (はちぶさ, hachibusa) – vegetable garden
孟 (もん, mon) – prosperity, abundance
Next twelve: 肋|喧|嘩|嬉|蕎|蝦|紐|胡|逢|叶|甥|馴
肋 (はば, haba) – ribs
喧 (けん, ken) – noise, uproar
嘩 (か, ka) – quarrel, fight
嬉 (うれし, ureshi) – joy, delight
蕎 (そば, soba) – buckwheat noodles
蝦 (えび, ebi) – shrimp
紐 (ひも, himo) – string, cord
胡 (ご, go) – barbarian, foreign
逢 (あ, a) – to meet, to encounter
叶 (かな, kana) – leaf, blade
甥 (いとこ, itoko) – nephew, niece
馴 (なら, nara) – tamed, domesticated
Next twelve: 喋|撫|笹|楊|鞄|漕|磯|傭|臥|廻|捺|遥
喋 (しゃべ, shabe) – to speak, to talk
撫 (なで, nade) – to stroke, to pet
笹 (ささ, sasa) – bamboo grass
楊 (よう, yō) – willow
鞄 (かばん, kaban) – bag, suitcase
漕 (こ, ko) – to row
磯 (いそ, iso) – seashore, beach
傭 (よう, yō) – servant, hireling
臥 (ふ, fu) – to lie down, to recline
廻 (めぐ, megumi) – to go around, to surround
捺 (なつ, natsu) – to stamp, to seal
遥 (はるか, haruka) – distant, far away
Next twelve: 袴|蒼|茄|逞|毬|叡|綾|坐|狼|董|嵩|捲
袴 (はかま, hakama) – traditional Japanese split-skirt trousers
蒼 (そう, sō) – blue, pale
茄 (なす, nasu) – eggplant
逞 (たくま, takuma) – brave, bold
毬 (まり, mari) – ball, sphere
叡 (えい, ei) – intelligence, wisdom
綾 (あや, aya) – design, pattern
坐 (ざ, za) – to sit
狼 (ろう, rō) – wolf
董 (どう, dō) – director, manager
嵩 (こう, kō) – bulk, volume
捲 (まく, maku) – to roll up, to wind up
Next twelve: 馳|硯|簾|煤|憐|楓|縞|蒲|竪|喰|溜|蒙
馳 (は, ha) – to run, to gallop
硯 (すずり, suzuri) – inkstone
簾 (す, su) – bamboo blind
煤 (すす, susu) – coal
憐 (れん, ren) – pity, compassion
楓 (かえで, kaede) – maple tree
縞 (しま, shima) – striped pattern
蒲 (が, ga) – bullrush, reed
竪 (たて, tate) – vertical, perpendicular
喰 (く, ku) – to eat, to drink
溜 (たたる, tatatu) – to glide, to slip
蒙 (もう, mō) – to be ignorant, to be unaware
Next twelve: 燭|智|慧|毘|鯉|淋|恰|竿|柏|尖|嶋|吾
燭 (ともしび, tomoshibi) – candle
智 (ち, chi) – wisdom, intellect
慧 (え, e) – wisdom, intelligence
毘 (び, bi) – to guard, to protect
鯉 (こい, koi) – carp
淋 (さび, sabi) – rust, tarnish
恰 (かっ, katsu) – just right, suitable
竿 (みぎわ, migiwa) – rod, pole
柏 (かしわ, kashiwa) – oak
尖 (とが, toga) – sharp, pointed
嶋 (しま, shima) – island
吾 (わ, wa) – I, me (used by men)
Next twelve: 鯛|錘|槍|凌|猪|斐|庵|惚|仔|膏|辻|瓢
鯛 (たい, tai) – sea bream
錘 (おり, ori) – weight, lead sinker
槍 (やり, yari) – spear, lance
凌 (しのぶ, shinobu) – to endure, to bear
猪 (い, i) – wild boar
斐 (あや, aya) – beauty, elegance
庵 (いおり, iori) – hermitage, retreat
惚 (ほる, horu) – to be forgetful, to be absent-minded
仔 (あさ, asa) – small, little
膏 (こう, kō) – ointment, unguent
辻 (つじ, tsuji) – crossroads, intersection
瓢 (ひょう, hyō) – gourd, scoop
Next twelve: 纏|紗|琥|珀|烏|杜|耽|賑|萩|輿|蔓|逗
纏 (まと, mato) – to wrap, to wind around
紗 (さ, sa) – gauze, thin silk
琥 (こ, ko) – amber
珀 (はく, haku) – amber
烏 (からす, karasu) – crow
杜 (と, to) – grove, forest
耽 (たん, tan) – to be absorbed in, to be indulged in
賑 (にぎ, nigi) – busy, lively
萩 (はぎ, hagi) – bush clover
輿 (こ, ko) – palanquin, litter
蔓 (まん, man) – vine, tendril
逗 (ほ, ho) – to stay, to remain
Next twelve: 鄭|芭|蕉|襖|薩|耀|碗|杖|瓜|芹|螺|穿
鄭 (てい, tei) – (surname)
芭 (ば, ba) – banana
蕉 (こうさ, kousa) – banana
襖 (あお, ao) – sliding door
薩 (さつ, satsu) – (surname)
耀 (よう, yō) – shine, glitter
碗 (わん, wan) – bowl
杖 (つえ, tsu) – cane, stick
瓜 (うり, uri) – melon
芹 (せり, seri) – celery
螺 (ら, ra) – spiral shell
穿 (うが, uga) – to pierce, to penetrate
Next twelve: 豹|儲|晨|伊|淳|蒔|盃|伍|迂|鋒|柑|捷
豹 (ひょう, hyō) – leopard
儲 (ちゅう, chū) – to save, to store up
晨 (あさひ, asahi) – morning
伊 (い, i) – (surname)
淳 (じゅん, jun) – pure, simple
蒔 (ま, ma) – to sow, to plant
盃 (さかずき, sakazuki) – sake cup
伍 (ご, go) – five
迂 (う, u) – roundabout, indirect
鋒 (ほう, hō) – point, tip
柑 (かん, kan) – citrus fruit
捷 (せつ, sets) – victory, success
Next twelve: 幡|汐|陀|洛|掠|這|頁|灸|濡|耶|斯|燈
幡 (はた, hata) – flag
汐 (しお, shio) – tidal wave
陀 (だ, da) – steep place, rapid
洛 (らく, raku) – (surname)
掠 (るす, rusu) – to plunder, to pillage
這 (は, ha) – to crawl, to creep
頁 (ぺえじ, peei) – page
灸 (きゅう, kyū) – moxibustion
濡 (ぬ, nu) – to wet, to moisten
耶 (や, ya) – (exclamation of joy)
斯 (し, shi) – this
燈 (とう, tō) – lamp, light
Final three: 恢|葺|之
恢 (かい, kai) – restore, revive
葺 (ふ, fu) – to thatch, to roof
之 (の, no) – (possessive particle)
Happy studying!
