Grade 4 Jōyō Kanji (小4): All 202 Fourth-Grade Kanji with Readings, Stroke Counts, and JLPT Mapping
The grade 4 jōyō kanji are the 202 characters that Japanese elementary students learn in their fourth year of school. They are defined by MEXT's 学年別漢字配当表 (grade-by-grade kanji distribution table) in the 平成29年 (2017) 告示 (official notice) of the 学習指導要領 (curriculum guidelines), effective from 2020-04-01.12 Grade 4 is the turning point of the kyōiku set: the count rises from grade 3's 200 to 202, the JLPT center of gravity moves decisively from N4 to N3, and the year delivers the 20 prefecture-name kanji that let a learner read all 47 都道府県 (prefectures) without furigana.34
Overview
The 学年別漢字配当表 (gakunenbetsu kanji haitōhyō, "grade-by-grade kanji distribution table") allocates 202 characters to grade 4 after the H29 revision, up from 182 under the previous 平成20年 告示.132 That 202-character total has been checked against the MEXT-aligned LOD rendering, the Japanese Wikipedia distribution table, the English Wikipedia kyōiku kanji article, and three Japanese teaching-publisher references.254678
The 教育漢字 (kyōiku kanji, "education kanji") set is a subset of the wider 常用漢字 (jōyō kanji) list, which last underwent revision in 2010.9 The 2010 jōyō revision changed which characters are jōyō; the 2017 revision changed only which grades the existing kyōiku characters are taught in.94 After H29, the 1,026 kyōiku kanji are distributed 80 / 160 / 200 / 202 / 193 / 191 across the six elementary grades.14
What changes between grade 3 and grade 4
Three qualitative shifts hit a learner in year 4. First, the JLPT center of gravity moves from N4 (which still held grade 3) to N3. There is also a meaningful N2 tail because the compounds containing grade-4 kanji are decisively abstract.1011 Second, the prefecture-name kanji block is the year's most visible novelty: a learner who completes grade 4 can read all 47 都道府県 (prefectures) without furigana.412
Third, the vocabulary becomes recognisably abstract (愛情, 希望, 願望, 信念, 努力, 必要, 失敗, 政治, 議会, 関係, 観光, 統計, 結果, 競争).1314 Several grade-4 kanji function only inside such compounds (議, 観, 関, 信, 願, 念). The "one kanji, one word" model that worked through grade 3 no longer works.
What gets learned in year 4
The 202 grade-4 characters fall into roughly seven teaching clusters that mirror the abstract-and-civic expansion expected of a nine-to-ten-year-old. MEXT does not issue this kind of grouping; the clusters below follow the most common Japanese elementary-textbook ordering.67
- Prefecture-name kanji (25): 茨, 媛, 岡, 潟, 岐, 熊, 香, 佐, 埼, 崎, 滋, 鹿, 縄, 井, 沖, 栃, 奈, 梨, 阪, 阜 (the 20 transferred in 2017), plus 賀, 群, 徳, 富, 城 (the 5 moved from grade 5 or 6 into grade 4 in the same revision, all prefecture-relevant).315
- Civics, government, and society: 議, 官, 民, 兵, 司, 臣, 軍, 隊, 訓, 順, 信, 念, 失, 敗, 戦, 争, 法, 約.
- Industry, economy, and effort: 産, 競, 努, 労, 働, 貨, 機, 械, 案, 改, 漁, 牧, 給, 料, 量, 輪, 録.
- Abstract qualities, feelings, and core morphemes: 愛, 望, 願, 求, 試, 続, 結, 残, 必, 要, 良, 例, 典, 達, 完, 各, 共, 単, 不, 末, 未, 包, 副, 別, 変, 便, 利, 害.
- Daily life, household, and the body: 飯, 浴, 菜, 種, 旗, 札, 帯, 衣, 印, 標, 灯, 鏡, 梅, 松, 街, 巣, 倉.
- Geography, weather, and natural features: 陸, 浅, 飛, 焼, 熱, 冷, 観, 察, 候, 季, 周, 辺.
- Time, measure, counters, and verbs of action: 億, 兆, 初, 加, 課, 果, 挙, 建, 健, 康, 験, 固, 功, 好, 差, 最, 材, 散, 笑, 唱, 照, 折, 節, 説, 選, 然, 側, 束, 卒.
Several characters fit two clusters (信 in civics and in abstract qualities; 街 in daily-life and in geography); the master table later in this article holds each character exactly once.
都道府県の名前は四年生で全部読めるようになる。2
"By fourth grade, students can read every prefecture name."
The 2017 grade-4 expansion: why grade 4 changed and grade 3 did not
The biggest under-explained question about grade 4 on the English-language web is the 2017 告示 (kokuji, "ministerial notice") and how it restructured the elementary kanji set. Grade 4 absorbed the entire +20 elementary expansion; every other grade kept the same character count it had before.34
The 2017 告示 in one paragraph
The 平成29年 告示 of the 小学校学習指導要領 was published on 2017-03-31 and took full effect in elementary schools on 2020-04-01.1 It raised the kyōiku total from 1,006 characters to 1,026 (a +20 expansion) and redistributed 28 characters across grades 1 through 6.34
Every addition and move at grade 4 was chosen with the 都道府県名 (prefecture name) reading goal in mind: by the end of grade 4, every Japanese fourth grader should be able to read all 47 prefecture names without furigana.312 The 告示 left every grade other than grade 4 at exactly the same character count as before. Grades 5 and 6 absorbed the displaced kanji, growing from 185 to 193 and from 181 to 191 respectively.34
What actually moved: 25 in, 23 out, net +20
The common framing, "20 prefecture kanji were added," captures the policy headline but undercounts the actual restructuring. The H29 告示 moved 25 kanji into grade 4 (20 from secondary school plus 5 from grades 5 and 6) and 23 kanji out of grade 4 (21 to grade 5, 2 to grade 6).32 Net change: +25 − 23 = +20, matching the headline +20 expansion at the elementary level.
The 20 prefecture-name kanji added from secondary school
| Kanji | Prefecture(s) | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Strokes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 茨 | 茨城 (Ibaraki) | (シ) | いばら | 9 |
| 媛 | 愛媛 (Ehime) | エン | (none) | 12 |
| 岡 | 福岡 (Fukuoka), 岡山 (Okayama), 静岡 (Shizuoka) | (none) | おか | 8 |
| 潟 | 新潟 (Niigata) | (none) | かた | 15 |
| 岐 | 岐阜 (Gifu) | キ | (none) | 7 |
| 熊 | 熊本 (Kumamoto) | (none) | くま | 14 |
| 香 | 香川 (Kagawa) | コウ、キョウ | か、かお-り、かお-る | 9 |
| 佐 | 佐賀 (Saga) | サ | (none) | 7 |
| 埼 | 埼玉 (Saitama) | (none) | さい | 11 |
| 崎 | 長崎 (Nagasaki), 宮崎 (Miyazaki) | (none) | さき | 11 |
| 滋 | 滋賀 (Shiga) | ジ | (none) | 12 |
| 鹿 | 鹿児島 (Kagoshima) | (none) | しか、か | 11 |
| 縄 | 沖縄 (Okinawa) | ジョウ | なわ | 15 |
| 井 | 福井 (Fukui) | (セイ)、(ショウ) | い | 4 |
| 沖 | 沖縄 (Okinawa) | (チュウ) | おき | 7 |
| 栃 | 栃木 (Tochigi) | (none) | とち | 9 |
| 奈 | 奈良 (Nara), 神奈川 (Kanagawa) | ナ | (none) | 8 |
| 梨 | 山梨 (Yamanashi) | (none) | なし | 11 |
| 阪 | 大阪 (Osaka) | (ハン) | (none) | 7 |
| 阜 | 岐阜 (Gifu) | フ | (none) | 8 |
Readings from the 常用漢字表9 cross-checked against the Obunsha post-revision reference15 and KANJIDIC2 via Jisho.16 Parentheses around an on'yomi mark a reading that the 常用漢字表 restricts to a small number of compounds. Two pairs of characters jointly form a single prefecture name: 沖 + 縄 for 沖縄, and 岐 + 阜 for 岐阜.
Eight of the 20 are kun-only in the 常用漢字表 reading set (岡, 潟, 熊, 埼, 崎, 鹿, 栃, 梨); for the remaining 12, the on'yomi is rare enough that the dominant real-world reading is the kun reading.915
The 5 additional kanji moved into grade 4 from grades 5 and 6
| Kanji | Moved from | Prefecture(s) it unlocks | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Strokes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 賀 | Grade 5 | 滋賀 (Shiga), 佐賀 (Saga) | ガ | (none) | 12 |
| 群 | Grade 5 | 群馬 (Gunma) | グン | む-れる、む-れ、むら | 13 |
| 徳 | Grade 5 | 徳島 (Tokushima) | トク | (none) | 14 |
| 富 | Grade 5 | 富山 (Toyama) | フ、フウ | と-む、とみ | 12 |
| 城 | Grade 6 | 茨城 (Ibaraki), 宮城 (Miyagi) | ジョウ | しろ | 9 |
Move list is per the Colorless Green Ideas tracking document for the H29 告示.32 All five also carry significant non-prefecture vocabulary (道徳 morality, 富 wealth, 城 castle, 年賀 New Year greeting, 群れ flock).13
The 23 kanji that moved out of grade 4
| Kanji | Moved to | Theme of the move |
|---|---|---|
| 囲 | Grade 5 | abstract |
| 紀 | Grade 5 | abstract |
| 喜 | Grade 5 | abstract |
| 救 | Grade 5 | abstract |
| 型 | Grade 5 | abstract |
| 航 | Grade 5 | abstract |
| 告 | Grade 5 | abstract |
| 殺 | Grade 5 | strong-vocabulary at age 9 |
| 士 | Grade 5 | abstract |
| 史 | Grade 5 | civics |
| 象 | Grade 5 | abstract |
| 賞 | Grade 5 | abstract |
| 貯 | Grade 5 | economic |
| 停 | Grade 5 | abstract |
| 堂 | Grade 5 | abstract |
| 得 | Grade 5 | abstract |
| 毒 | Grade 5 | strong-vocabulary at age 9 |
| 費 | Grade 5 | economic |
| 粉 | Grade 5 | abstract |
| 脈 | Grade 5 | medical |
| 歴 | Grade 5 | civics |
| 胃 | Grade 6 | medical |
| 腸 | Grade 6 | medical |
The two characters that moved to grade 6 (胃 and 腸) are medical-anatomy kanji; the rationale is that medical-anatomy vocabulary sits more comfortably at grade 6 alongside the other grade-6 medical kanji.34
Why this matters for L2 learners
Every English-language kanji list, deck, app, or textbook published before April 2020 (and many published after) is built on the pre-H29 182-character grade 4 set. Most older WaniKani level mappings, most older Anki decks tagged "grade 4", most pre-2020 printed kanji workbooks, the Heisig RTK grade tags through the 4th edition, and some 2020-or-later reference websites that copied an older table still show a grade 4 that no longer matches what a Japanese fourth grader actually learns.4317
The mismatch affects roughly 23 + 25 = 48 characters across the elementary set, concentrated at grades 4, 5, and 6 (which absorbed the moves). Grades 1, 2, and 3 are unchanged; any "grade 1 / 2 / 3" tag in any deck or textbook remains correct.3
The practical advice is simple: use the 202-character list when matching against current school-year cohorts or against 漢検7級 (the kanji proficiency test, updated to track H29). Keep the old 182-character list only when cross-referencing legacy materials.4
The 202 grade 4 kanji
How to read the table
- Kanji: the character in its standard 常用漢字表 form.9
- Meaning: the dominant English gloss; secondary senses are omitted. For prefecture-name kanji, the meaning column lists the prefecture rather than a dictionary gloss, because that is where the character first appears in real text.
- On'yomi (katakana): the primary Sino-Japanese reading per the 常用漢字表.9 Parentheses mark on'yomi that the 常用漢字表 restricts to a small set of compounds.
(none)marks characters with no on'yomi in the 常用漢字表 set. - Kun'yomi (hiragana, okurigana hyphenated): the primary native reading.
(none)marks characters with no kun'yomi in the 常用漢字表 set. - Strokes (画数, kakusū): stroke count per KANJIDIC2.1816 These match the MEXT-endorsed counts.
- Top-2 vocabulary: high-frequency words a learner is likely to meet in textbooks and corpus material, compiled from JMdict frequency-tagged headwords19 and 大辞林 / 広辞苑 attestation.1413 For prefecture-name kanji, this column shows the prefecture name(s).
- JLPT: level per the combined JLPTsensei N3 + N2 reconstruction1011 cross-checked against Wikibooks2021.
N4marks characters JLPT community lists place at N4 despite the kyōiku set deferring them.N1+marks characters above N2 or omitted from the JLPTsensei N3 / N2 pages entirely.
The JLPT itself publishes no kanji list.22 Every level assignment below is reconstructed by community projects (Wikibooks, JLPTsensei). Grade 4 has a particularly wide N3 / N2 spread because its abstract-noun compounds straddle the two levels in real reading material. Different reconstructions disagree on roughly 12 of the 202 characters.232021
Master table: all 202 fourth-grade kanji
The table is split into seven teaching clusters plus the 25 prefecture-name kanji as a final separate block, so the 2017 addition stays visible. Each of the 202 characters appears exactly once; rows that overlap clusters are marked so the column total stays accurate.
Civics, government, and society (18)
| Kanji | Meaning | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Strokes | Top-2 vocabulary | JLPT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 議 | discuss, deliberation | ギ | (none) | 20 | 議会 (ぎかい) "assembly, parliament"; 議論 (ぎろん) "discussion" | N3 |
| 官 | government official | カン | (none) | 8 | 官庁 (かんちょう) "government office"; 警察官 (けいさつかん) "police officer" | N2 |
| 民 | people, nation | ミン | たみ | 5 | 国民 (こくみん) "citizens"; 民族 (みんぞく) "ethnic group" | N3 |
| 兵 | soldier, troops | ヘイ、ヒョウ | (none) | 7 | 兵隊 (へいたい) "soldier, troops"; 兵器 (へいき) "weapon" | N2 |
| 司 | director, officiate | シ | (none) | 5 | 司会 (しかい) "chairperson, MC"; 上司 (じょうし) "superior at work" | N3 |
| 臣 | retainer, subject | シン、ジン | (none) | 7 | 大臣 (だいじん) "minister"; 家臣 (かしん) "vassal" | N2 |
| 軍 | military, army | グン | (none) | 9 | 軍 (ぐん) "army"; 軍隊 (ぐんたい) "armed forces" | N3 |
| 隊 | troop, group | タイ | (none) | 12 | 軍隊 (ぐんたい) "armed forces"; 隊長 (たいちょう) "captain, leader" | N3 |
| 訓 | instruction, lesson | クン | (none) | 10 | 訓練 (くんれん) "training"; 教訓 (きょうくん) "lesson, moral" | N2 |
| 順 | order, sequence | ジュン | (none) | 12 | 順番 (じゅんばん) "order, turn"; 順調 (じゅんちょう) "smooth, favourable" | N3 |
| 信 | trust, faith | シン | (none) | 9 | 信じる (しんじる) "to believe"; 信号 (しんごう) "traffic signal" | N3 |
| 念 | thought, attention | ネン | (none) | 8 | 残念 (ざんねん) "regrettable"; 記念 (きねん) "commemoration" | N3 |
| 失 | lose, fault | シツ | うしな-う | 5 | 失う (うしなう) "to lose"; 失敗 (しっぱい) "failure" | N3 |
| 敗 | be defeated, fail | ハイ | やぶ-れる | 11 | 失敗 (しっぱい) "failure"; 敗北 (はいぼく) "defeat" | N3 |
| 戦 | war, fight | セン | いくさ、たたか-う | 13 | 戦争 (せんそう) "war"; 戦う (たたかう) "to fight" | N3 |
| 争 | contend, dispute | ソウ | あらそ-う | 6 | 戦争 (せんそう) "war"; 争う (あらそう) "to contend" | N3 |
| 法 | law, method | ホウ、ハッ、ホッ | (none) | 8 | 法律 (ほうりつ) "law"; 方法 (ほうほう) "method" | N3 |
| 約 | promise, approximately | ヤク | (none) | 9 | 約束 (やくそく) "promise"; 約 (やく) "approximately" | N3 |
Industry, economy, and effort (17)
| Kanji | Meaning | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Strokes | Top-2 vocabulary | JLPT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 産 | give birth, produce | サン | う-む、う-まれる、うぶ | 11 | 産業 (さんぎょう) "industry"; 出産 (しゅっさん) "childbirth" | N4 |
| 競 | compete | キョウ、ケイ | きそ-う、せ-る | 20 | 競争 (きょうそう) "competition"; 競技 (きょうぎ) "athletic event" | N3 |
| 努 | exert oneself, endeavor | ド | つと-める | 7 | 努力 (どりょく) "effort"; 努める (つとめる) "to strive" | N3 |
| 労 | labor, toil | ロウ | (none) | 7 | 苦労 (くろう) "hardship"; 労働 (ろうどう) "labour" | N3 |
| 働 | work (kokuji) | ドウ | はたら-く | 13 | 働く (はたらく) "to work"; 労働 (ろうどう) "labour" | N4 |
| 貨 | freight, money | カ | (none) | 11 | 貨物 (かもつ) "freight, cargo"; 通貨 (つうか) "currency" | N2 |
| 機 | machine, opportunity | キ | はた | 16 | 機械 (きかい) "machine"; 機会 (きかい) "opportunity" | N3 |
| 械 | machine, contraption | カイ | (none) | 11 | 機械 (きかい) "machine"; 器械 (きかい) "instrument" | N2 |
| 案 | plan, proposal | アン | (none) | 10 | 案内 (あんない) "guidance"; 提案 (ていあん) "proposal" | N3 |
| 改 | reform, revise | カイ | あらた-める、あらた-まる | 7 | 改める (あらためる) "to revise"; 改正 (かいせい) "amendment" | N3 |
| 漁 | fishing | ギョ、リョウ | (none) | 14 | 漁業 (ぎょぎょう) "fisheries"; 漁師 (りょうし) "fisherman" | N2 |
| 牧 | pasture, shepherd | ボク | まき | 8 | 牧場 (ぼくじょう / まきば) "ranch, pasture"; 牧畜 (ぼくちく) "cattle raising" | N2 |
| 給 | supply, salary | キュウ | (none) | 12 | 給料 (きゅうりょう) "salary"; 供給 (きょうきゅう) "supply" | N3 |
| 料 | fee, materials | リョウ | (none) | 10 | 料理 (りょうり) "cooking, cuisine"; 料金 (りょうきん) "fee" | N3 |
| 量 | quantity, weigh | リョウ | はか-る | 12 | 量 (りょう) "quantity"; 数量 (すうりょう) "amount" | N3 |
| 輪 | wheel, ring | リン | わ | 15 | 輪 (わ) "ring, wheel"; 車輪 (しゃりん) "wheel" | N3 |
| 録 | record | ロク | (none) | 16 | 記録 (きろく) "record"; 録音 (ろくおん) "audio recording" | N3 |
働 is the most famous kokuji (国字, "national character", a kanji coined in Japan) in the kyōiku list. 人偏 (person radical) + 動 (move) reads as "the kind of moving that people do".1324
Abstract qualities, feelings, and core morphemes (28)
| Kanji | Meaning | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Strokes | Top-2 vocabulary | JLPT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 愛 | love | アイ | (none) | 13 | 愛 (あい) "love"; 愛情 (あいじょう) "affection" | N3 |
| 望 | desire, hope | ボウ、モウ | のぞ-む | 11 | 希望 (きぼう) "hope"; 望む (のぞむ) "to hope, wish" | N3 |
| 願 | request, wish | ガン | ねが-う | 19 | 願う (ねがう) "to wish"; お願い (おねがい) "request" | N3 |
| 求 | request, seek | キュウ | もと-める | 7 | 求める (もとめる) "to seek"; 要求 (ようきゅう) "demand" | N3 |
| 試 | test, try | シ | こころ-みる、ため-す | 13 | 試験 (しけん) "exam"; 試合 (しあい) "match, game" | N4 |
| 続 | continue | ゾク | つづ-く、つづ-ける | 13 | 続く (つづく) "to continue"; 連続 (れんぞく) "continuation" | N3 |
| 結 | tie, conclude | ケツ | むす-ぶ、ゆ-う、ゆ-わえる | 12 | 結ぶ (むすぶ) "to tie"; 結果 (けっか) "result" | N3 |
| 残 | remain, cruel | ザン | のこ-る、のこ-す | 10 | 残る (のこる) "to remain"; 残念 (ざんねん) "regrettable" | N3 |
| 必 | invariably, must | ヒツ | かなら-ず | 5 | 必ず (かならず) "without fail"; 必要 (ひつよう) "necessary" | N3 |
| 要 | important, need | ヨウ | い-る、かなめ | 9 | 必要 (ひつよう) "necessary"; 重要 (じゅうよう) "important" | N3 |
| 良 | good, fine | リョウ | よ-い、い-い | 7 | 良い (よい / いい) "good"; 良好 (りょうこう) "good (condition)" | N3 |
| 例 | example, custom | レイ | たと-える | 8 | 例 (れい) "example"; 例えば (たとえば) "for example" | N3 |
| 典 | code, ceremony | テン | (none) | 8 | 辞典 (じてん) "dictionary"; 古典 (こてん) "classic" | N2 |
| 達 | reach, attain, plural | タツ | (none) | 12 | 友達 (ともだち) "friend"; 配達 (はいたつ) "delivery" | N3 |
| 完 | complete, perfect | カン | (none) | 7 | 完全 (かんぜん) "perfect"; 完成 (かんせい) "completion" | N3 |
| 各 | each | カク | おのおの | 6 | 各 (おのおの) "each"; 各国 (かっこく) "each country" | N3 |
| 共 | together | キョウ | とも | 6 | 共 (とも) "together"; 共通 (きょうつう) "common, shared" | N3 |
| 単 | single, simple | タン | (none) | 9 | 単 (たん) "single, simple"; 簡単 (かんたん) "easy, simple" | N3 |
| 不 | not, un- | フ、ブ | (none) | 4 | 不安 (ふあん) "anxiety"; 不便 (ふべん) "inconvenient" | N4 |
| 末 | end, tip | マツ、バツ | すえ | 5 | 末 (すえ) "end, tip"; 週末 (しゅうまつ) "weekend" | N3 |
| 未 | not yet, un- | ミ | (none) | 5 | 未来 (みらい) "future"; 未満 (みまん) "less than" | N3 |
| 包 | wrap, conceal | ホウ | つつ-む | 5 | 包む (つつむ) "to wrap"; 小包 (こづつみ) "parcel" | N3 |
| 副 | secondary, vice- | フク | (none) | 11 | 副社長 (ふくしゃちょう) "vice-president"; 副作用 (ふくさよう) "side effect" | N2 |
| 別 | separate, different | ベツ | わか-れる | 7 | 別 (べつ) "separate"; 区別 (くべつ) "distinction" | N4 |
| 変 | change, strange | ヘン | か-わる、か-える | 9 | 変わる (かわる) "to change"; 大変 (たいへん) "very, awful" | N3 |
| 便 | convenience, mail | ベン、ビン | たよ-り | 9 | 便利 (べんり) "convenient"; 郵便 (ゆうびん) "mail" | N3 |
| 利 | profit, advantage | リ | き-く | 7 | 便利 (べんり) "convenient"; 利用 (りよう) "use, utilization" | N3 |
| 害 | harm, damage | ガイ | (none) | 10 | 害 (がい) "harm"; 公害 (こうがい) "pollution" | N3 |
Daily life, household, and the body (17)
| Kanji | Meaning | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Strokes | Top-2 vocabulary | JLPT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 飯 | cooked rice, meal | ハン | めし | 12 | ご飯 (ごはん) "cooked rice, meal"; 朝飯 (あさめし) "breakfast" | N4 |
| 浴 | bathe | ヨク | あ-びる、あ-びせる | 10 | 浴びる (あびる) "to bathe"; 入浴 (にゅうよく) "taking a bath" | N3 |
| 菜 | vegetable, greens | サイ | な | 11 | 野菜 (やさい) "vegetable"; 菜 (な) "greens" | N3 |
| 種 | species, kind, seed | シュ | たね | 14 | 種類 (しゅるい) "kind, type"; 種 (たね) "seed" | N3 |
| 旗 | flag, banner | キ | はた | 14 | 旗 (はた) "flag"; 国旗 (こっき) "national flag" | N2 |
| 札 | tag, paper money | サツ | ふだ | 5 | 札 (ふだ) "tag, card"; お札 (おさつ) "paper money" | N2 |
| 帯 | belt, zone, wear | タイ | お-びる、おび | 10 | 帯 (おび) "obi, belt"; 一帯 (いったい) "whole area" | N3 |
| 衣 | clothing, garment | イ | ころも | 6 | 衣服 (いふく) "clothing"; 浴衣 (ゆかた) "yukata" | N3 |
| 印 | seal, mark | イン | しるし | 6 | 印 (しるし) "mark, sign"; 印刷 (いんさつ) "printing" | N3 |
| 標 | mark, signpost | ヒョウ | (none) | 15 | 目標 (もくひょう) "goal, target"; 標準 (ひょうじゅん) "standard" | N3 |
| 灯 | lamp, light | トウ | ひ | 6 | 灯 (ひ) "lamp light"; 電灯 (でんとう) "electric light" | N2 |
| 鏡 | mirror | キョウ | かがみ | 19 | 鏡 (かがみ) "mirror"; 眼鏡 (めがね) "glasses" | N3 |
| 梅 | plum | バイ | うめ | 10 | 梅 (うめ) "plum"; 梅雨 (つゆ / ばいう) "rainy season" | N2 |
| 松 | pine | ショウ | まつ | 8 | 松 (まつ) "pine"; 松の木 (まつのき) "pine tree" | N2 |
| 街 | town, street | ガイ、カイ | まち | 12 | 街 (まち) "street, quarter"; 商店街 (しょうてんがい) "shopping street" | N2 |
| 巣 | nest, den | ソウ | す | 11 | 巣 (す) "nest"; 巣箱 (すばこ) "nest box, birdhouse" | N2 |
| 倉 | warehouse | ソウ | くら | 10 | 倉 (くら) "storehouse"; 倉庫 (そうこ) "warehouse" | N2 |
Geography, weather, and natural features (12)
| Kanji | Meaning | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Strokes | Top-2 vocabulary | JLPT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 陸 | land, continent | リク | (none) | 11 | 大陸 (たいりく) "continent"; 上陸 (じょうりく) "landing" | N3 |
| 浅 | shallow | セン | あさ-い | 9 | 浅い (あさい) "shallow"; 浅瀬 (あさせ) "shoal" | N3 |
| 飛 | fly | ヒ | と-ぶ、と-ばす | 9 | 飛ぶ (とぶ) "to fly"; 飛行機 (ひこうき) "airplane" | N3 |
| 焼 | burn, bake | ショウ | や-く、や-ける | 12 | 焼く (やく) "to burn, bake"; 焼き魚 (やきざかな) "grilled fish" | N3 |
| 熱 | heat, fever | ネツ | あつ-い | 15 | 熱 (ねつ) "heat, fever"; 熱心 (ねっしん) "enthusiastic" | N3 |
| 冷 | cold, cool | レイ | つめ-たい、ひ-える、ひ-やす | 7 | 冷たい (つめたい) "cold (to touch)"; 冷蔵庫 (れいぞうこ) "refrigerator" | N3 |
| 観 | view, observe | カン | (none) | 18 | 観光 (かんこう) "sightseeing"; 観察 (かんさつ) "observation" | N3 |
| 察 | observe, presume | サツ | (none) | 14 | 警察 (けいさつ) "police"; 観察 (かんさつ) "observation" | N3 |
| 候 | climate, sign | コウ | そうろう | 10 | 天候 (てんこう) "weather"; 気候 (きこう) "climate" | N2 |
| 季 | season | キ | (none) | 8 | 季節 (きせつ) "season"; 四季 (しき) "the four seasons" | N3 |
| 周 | circumference, around | シュウ | まわ-り | 8 | 周り (まわり) "vicinity, surroundings"; 周辺 (しゅうへん) "outskirts" | N3 |
| 辺 | vicinity, edge | ヘン | あた-り、べ | 5 | この辺 (このへん) "around here"; 辺り (あたり) "surroundings" | N3 |
Verbs of action, motion, and process (26)
| Kanji | Meaning | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Strokes | Top-2 vocabulary | JLPT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 加 | add | カ | くわ-える、くわ-わる | 5 | 加える (くわえる) "to add"; 参加 (さんか) "participation" | N3 |
| 課 | section, lesson | カ | (none) | 15 | 課 (か) "section, lesson"; 課題 (かだい) "task, problem" | N3 |
| 果 | fruit, result | カ | は-たす、は-てる、はて | 8 | 果物 (くだもの) "fruit"; 結果 (けっか) "result" | N3 |
| 挙 | raise, action | キョ | あ-げる、あ-がる | 10 | 挙げる (あげる) "to raise"; 選挙 (せんきょ) "election" | N2 |
| 建 | build | ケン、コン | た-てる、た-つ | 9 | 建てる (たてる) "to build"; 建物 (たてもの) "building" | N4 |
| 健 | healthy, strong | ケン | すこ-やか | 11 | 健康 (けんこう) "health"; 健全 (けんぜん) "sound, healthy" | N3 |
| 康 | peaceful, healthy | コウ | (none) | 11 | 健康 (けんこう) "health"; 小康 (しょうこう) "lull" | N2 |
| 験 | test, verify | ケン、ゲン | (none) | 18 | 試験 (しけん) "exam"; 経験 (けいけん) "experience" | N3 |
| 固 | solid, firm | コ | かた-める、かた-まる、かた-い | 8 | 固い (かたい) "hard, firm"; 固定 (こてい) "fixed" | N3 |
| 功 | merit, success | コウ、ク | (none) | 5 | 成功 (せいこう) "success"; 功績 (こうせき) "achievement" | N2 |
| 好 | like, fond | コウ | この-む、す-く | 6 | 好き (すき) "liking, fond of"; 好物 (こうぶつ) "favorite food" | N3 |
| 差 | difference, insert | サ | さ-す | 10 | 差 (さ) "difference"; 時差 (じさ) "time difference" | N3 |
| 最 | most, extreme | サイ | もっと-も | 12 | 最も (もっとも) "most"; 最初 (さいしょ) "first" | N3 |
| 材 | material, lumber | ザイ | (none) | 7 | 材料 (ざいりょう) "materials"; 木材 (もくざい) "wood, lumber" | N3 |
| 散 | scatter, disperse | サン | ち-る、ち-らす、ち-らかす | 12 | 散る (ちる) "to scatter"; 散歩 (さんぽ) "walk, stroll" | N3 |
| 笑 | laugh, smile | ショウ | わら-う、え-む | 10 | 笑う (わらう) "to laugh"; 笑顔 (えがお) "smile" | N3 |
| 唱 | chant, recite | ショウ | とな-える | 11 | 唱える (となえる) "to chant, advocate"; 合唱 (がっしょう) "chorus" | N2 |
| 照 | shine, illuminate | ショウ | て-る、て-らす、て-れる | 13 | 照る (てる) "to shine"; 参照 (さんしょう) "reference" | N3 |
| 折 | fold, break | セツ | お-る、お-れる、おり | 7 | 折る (おる) "to fold"; 骨折 (こっせつ) "bone fracture" | N3 |
| 節 | node, season, joint | セツ、セチ | ふし | 13 | 節 (ふし) "joint, point"; 季節 (きせつ) "season" | N3 |
| 説 | explain, theory | セツ、ゼイ | と-く | 14 | 説明 (せつめい) "explanation"; 小説 (しょうせつ) "novel" | N4 |
| 選 | choose, elect | セン | えら-ぶ | 15 | 選ぶ (えらぶ) "to choose"; 選挙 (せんきょ) "election" | N3 |
| 然 | so, like that | ゼン、ネン | (none) | 12 | 自然 (しぜん) "nature"; 当然 (とうぜん) "natural, of course" | N3 |
| 側 | side, flank | ソク | がわ | 11 | 側 (がわ) "side"; 両側 (りょうがわ) "both sides" | N3 |
| 束 | bundle, restrain | ソク | たば、つか | 7 | 束 (たば) "bundle"; 約束 (やくそく) "promise" | N3 |
| 卒 | graduate, soldier | ソツ | (none) | 8 | 卒業 (そつぎょう) "graduation"; 卒倒 (そっとう) "fainting" | N3 |
Time, measure, large-number kanji, and residual characters (59)
| Kanji | Meaning | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Strokes | Top-2 vocabulary | JLPT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 億 | hundred million | オク | (none) | 15 | 一億 (いちおく) "one hundred million"; 億万 (おくまん) "millions" | N2 |
| 兆 | trillion, sign, omen | チョウ | きざ-す、きざ-し | 6 | 兆 (ちょう) "trillion"; 前兆 (ぜんちょう) "omen" | N2 |
| 初 | first, beginning | ショ | はじ-め、はじ-めて、はつ、うい、そ-める | 7 | 初めて (はじめて) "for the first time"; 最初 (さいしょ) "the first" | N3 |
| 以 | by means of, since | イ | (none) | 5 | 以上 (いじょう) "above"; 以下 (いか) "below" | N3 |
| 位 | rank, position | イ | くらい | 7 | 位 (くらい) "rank, about"; 順位 (じゅんい) "order, rank" | N3 |
| 英 | England, English, hero | エイ | (none) | 8 | 英語 (えいご) "English (language)"; 英国 (えいこく) "England, UK" | N4 |
| 栄 | flourish, prosperity | エイ | さか-える、は-える | 9 | 栄光 (えいこう) "glory"; 繁栄 (はんえい) "prosperity" | N2 |
| 塩 | salt | エン | しお | 13 | 塩 (しお) "salt"; 塩分 (えんぶん) "salt content" | N3 |
| 芽 | bud, sprout | ガ | め | 8 | 芽 (め) "bud, sprout"; 発芽 (はつが) "germination" | N2 |
| 覚 | memorize, awake | カク | おぼ-える、さ-ます、さ-める | 12 | 覚える (おぼえる) "to remember"; 感覚 (かんかく) "sense" | N3 |
| 関 | barrier, related | カン | せき、かか-わる | 14 | 関係 (かんけい) "relation"; 関する (かんする) "concerning" | N3 |
| 管 | pipe, control | カン | くだ | 14 | 管 (くだ) "pipe, tube"; 管理 (かんり) "management" | N2 |
| 器 | utensil, container | キ | うつわ | 15 | 器 (うつわ) "vessel"; 器具 (きぐ) "utensil" | N3 |
| 希 | rare, hope | キ、ケ | (none) | 7 | 希望 (きぼう) "hope"; 希少 (きしょう) "rare" | N3 |
| 泣 | cry, weep | キュウ | な-く | 8 | 泣く (なく) "to cry"; 号泣 (ごうきゅう) "loud crying" | N3 |
| 協 | cooperate | キョウ | (none) | 8 | 協力 (きょうりょく) "cooperation"; 協会 (きょうかい) "association" | N2 |
| 極 | extreme, pole | キョク、ゴク | きわ-める、きわ-まる、きわ-み | 12 | 極めて (きわめて) "exceedingly"; 究極 (きゅうきょく) "ultimate" | N2 |
| 郡 | county, district | グン | こおり | 10 | 郡 (ぐん) "district, county"; 郡部 (ぐんぶ) "rural area" | N2 |
| 径 | diameter, path | ケイ | (none) | 8 | 直径 (ちょっけい) "diameter"; 半径 (はんけい) "radius" | N2 |
| 景 | view, scenery | ケイ | (none) | 12 | 景色 (けしき) "scenery"; 風景 (ふうけい) "landscape" | N3 |
| 芸 | art, craft | ゲイ | (none) | 7 | 芸 (げい) "art, performance"; 芸術 (げいじゅつ) "art" | N2 |
| 欠 | lack, yawn | ケツ | か-ける、か-く | 4 | 欠ける (かける) "to lack"; 欠席 (けっせき) "absence" | N3 |
| 児 | child, young | ジ、ニ | (none) | 7 | 児童 (じどう) "child, pupil"; 育児 (いくじ) "childrearing" | N3 |
| 治 | govern, cure | ジ、チ | おさ-める、おさ-まる、なお-る、なお-す | 8 | 治す (なおす) "to cure"; 政治 (せいじ) "politics" | N3 |
| 辞 | resign, word | ジ | や-める | 13 | 辞書 (じしょ) "dictionary"; 辞める (やめる) "to resign" | N3 |
| 借 | borrow | シャク | か-りる | 10 | 借りる (かりる) "to borrow"; 借金 (しゃっきん) "debt" | N4 |
| 祝 | celebrate, congratulate | シュク、シュウ | いわ-う | 9 | 祝う (いわう) "to celebrate"; 祝日 (しゅくじつ) "holiday" | N3 |
| 省 | omit, ministry | ショウ、セイ | はぶ-く、かえり-みる | 9 | 文部省 (もんぶしょう) "Ministry of Education (historical)"; 省略 (しょうりゃく) "omission" | N3 |
| 清 | clean, pure | セイ、ショウ | きよ-い、きよ-める、きよ-まる | 11 | 清い (きよい) "pure"; 清書 (せいしょ) "fair copy" | N3 |
| 静 | quiet, still | セイ、ジョウ | しず、しず-か、しず-める、しず-まる | 14 | 静か (しずか) "quiet"; 静止 (せいし) "stillness" | N3 |
| 席 | seat, place | セキ | (none) | 10 | 席 (せき) "seat"; 出席 (しゅっせき) "attendance" | N3 |
| 積 | volume, accumulate | セキ | つ-む、つ-もる | 16 | 面積 (めんせき) "area"; 積もる (つもる) "to accumulate" | N3 |
| 置 | place, put | チ | お-く | 13 | 置く (おく) "to put"; 位置 (いち) "position" | N3 |
| 仲 | go-between, relations | チュウ | なか | 6 | 仲 (なか) "relations"; 仲間 (なかま) "companion" | N3 |
| 低 | low | テイ | ひく-い、ひく-める、ひく-まる | 7 | 低い (ひくい) "low"; 最低 (さいてい) "the lowest" | N3 |
| 底 | bottom, base | テイ | そこ | 8 | 底 (そこ) "bottom"; 海底 (かいてい) "sea floor" | N3 |
| 的 | target, -ish (suffix) | テキ | まと | 8 | 目的 (もくてき) "purpose"; 〜的 (てき) "-like, -ic" | N3 |
| 伝 | transmit, legend | デン | つた-える、つた-わる、つた-う | 6 | 伝える (つたえる) "to convey"; 伝統 (でんとう) "tradition" | N3 |
| 徒 | follower, on foot | ト | (none) | 10 | 徒歩 (とほ) "walking"; 生徒 (せいと) "student" | N2 |
| 特 | special, distinctive | トク | (none) | 10 | 特に (とくに) "especially"; 特別 (とくべつ) "special" | N3 |
| 付 | attach, append | フ | つ-ける、つ-く | 5 | 付ける (つける) "to attach"; 受付 (うけつけ) "reception" | N3 |
| 夫 | husband, man | フ、フウ、ブ | おっと | 4 | 夫 (おっと) "husband"; 夫婦 (ふうふ) "married couple" | N3 |
| 府 | government, prefecture | フ | (none) | 8 | 政府 (せいふ) "government"; 大阪府 (おおさかふ) "Osaka Prefecture" | N2 |
| 票 | ballot, slip | ヒョウ | (none) | 11 | 投票 (とうひょう) "vote"; 伝票 (でんぴょう) "slip, voucher" | N3 |
| 博 | broad, exposition | ハク、バク | (none) | 12 | 博物館 (はくぶつかん) "museum"; 博士 (はかせ / はくし) "PhD, doctor" | N2 |
| 参 | participate, visit | サン | まい-る | 8 | 参加 (さんか) "participation"; 参考 (さんこう) "reference" | N3 |
| 孫 | grandchild | ソン | まご | 10 | 孫 (まご) "grandchild"; 子孫 (しそん) "descendant" | N2 |
| 成 | become, achieve | セイ、ジョウ | な-る、な-す | 6 | 成る (なる) "to become"; 完成 (かんせい) "completion" | N3 |
| 昨 | yesterday, last | サク | (none) | 9 | 昨日 (きのう / さくじつ) "yesterday"; 昨年 (さくねん) "last year" | N3 |
| 氏 | family name, Mr. | シ | うじ | 4 | 氏名 (しめい) "full name"; 氏 (し) "Mr., honorific" | N3 |
| 刷 | サツ | す-る | 8 | 印刷 (いんさつ) "printing"; 刷る (する) "to print" | N2 | |
| 満 | full, fulfill | マン、バン | み-ちる、み-たす | 12 | 満員 (まんいん) "fully occupied"; 不満 (ふまん) "dissatisfaction" | N3 |
| 無 | nothing, un- | ム、ブ | な-い | 12 | 無理 (むり) "impossible"; 無料 (むりょう) "free of charge" | N3 |
| 勇 | courage, bravery | ユウ | いさ-む | 9 | 勇気 (ゆうき) "courage"; 勇敢 (ゆうかん) "brave" | N2 |
| 養 | foster, nurture | ヨウ | やしな-う | 15 | 養う (やしなう) "to support, raise"; 栄養 (えいよう) "nutrition" | N2 |
| 老 | old, elderly | ロウ | お-いる、ふ-ける | 6 | 老人 (ろうじん) "elderly person"; 老化 (ろうか) "aging" | N3 |
| 令 | order, command | レイ | (none) | 5 | 命令 (めいれい) "order, command"; 法令 (ほうれい) "law and regulation" | N2 |
| 連 | take along, link | レン | つら-なる、つら-ねる、つ-れる | 10 | 連絡 (れんらく) "contact"; 連続 (れんぞく) "continuous" | N3 |
| 類 | kind, type, similar | ルイ | たぐい | 18 | 種類 (しゅるい) "kind, type"; 人類 (じんるい) "humankind" | N2 |
Prefecture-name kanji: the 2017 addition (25)
This block includes the 20 prefecture-name kanji moved from secondary school to grade 4 in 2017, plus the 5 additional grade-4 entries moved from grade 5 or 6 in the same revision. All five are prefecture-relevant. The top-2 vocabulary column gives the prefecture(s) the kanji unlocks rather than a common compound, because for almost every character in this block the prefecture name is the dominant real-world usage.15
| Kanji | Prefecture(s) / meaning | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Strokes | Top-2 vocabulary | JLPT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 茨 | Ibaraki / thorn | (シ) | いばら | 9 | 茨城 (いばらき) "Ibaraki Prefecture"; 茨 (いばら) "thorn, briar" | N1+ |
| 媛 | Ehime / beautiful woman | エン | (none) | 12 | 愛媛 (えひめ) "Ehime Prefecture"; 才媛 (さいえん) "talented woman" | N1+ |
| 岡 | Fukuoka, Okayama, Shizuoka / hill | (none) | おか | 8 | 福岡 (ふくおか); 静岡 (しずおか); 岡 (おか) "hill" | N1+ |
| 潟 | Niigata / lagoon | (none) | かた | 15 | 新潟 (にいがた) "Niigata Prefecture"; 干潟 (ひがた) "tidal flat" | N1+ |
| 岐 | Gifu / branch | キ | (none) | 7 | 岐阜 (ぎふ) "Gifu Prefecture"; 分岐 (ぶんき) "branch, fork" | N1+ |
| 熊 | Kumamoto / bear | (none) | くま | 14 | 熊本 (くまもと) "Kumamoto Prefecture"; 熊 (くま) "bear" | N1+ |
| 香 | Kagawa / fragrance | コウ、キョウ | か、かお-り、かお-る | 9 | 香川 (かがわ) "Kagawa Prefecture"; 香り (かおり) "fragrance" | N2 |
| 佐 | Saga / assist | サ | (none) | 7 | 佐賀 (さが) "Saga Prefecture"; 補佐 (ほさ) "assistance" | N1+ |
| 埼 | Saitama / cape (geographic) | (none) | さい | 11 | 埼玉 (さいたま) "Saitama Prefecture"; 埼 (さい) "cape, promontory" | N1+ |
| 崎 | Nagasaki, Miyazaki / promontory | (none) | さき | 11 | 長崎 (ながさき); 宮崎 (みやざき); 山崎 (やまさき / やまざき) | N1+ |
| 滋 | Shiga / nourishing | ジ | (none) | 12 | 滋賀 (しが) "Shiga Prefecture"; 滋養 (じよう) "nourishment" | N1+ |
| 鹿 | Kagoshima / deer | (none) | しか、か | 11 | 鹿児島 (かごしま) "Kagoshima Prefecture"; 鹿 (しか) "deer" | N1+ |
| 縄 | Okinawa / rope | ジョウ | なわ | 15 | 沖縄 (おきなわ) "Okinawa Prefecture"; 縄 (なわ) "rope" | N1+ |
| 井 | Fukui / well | (セイ)、(ショウ) | い | 4 | 福井 (ふくい) "Fukui Prefecture"; 井戸 (いど) "well" | N1+ |
| 沖 | Okinawa / open sea | (チュウ) | おき | 7 | 沖縄 (おきなわ) "Okinawa Prefecture"; 沖 (おき) "open sea, offshore" | N1+ |
| 栃 | Tochigi / horse chestnut | (none) | とち | 9 | 栃木 (とちぎ) "Tochigi Prefecture"; 栃の木 (とちのき) "horse chestnut tree" | N1+ |
| 奈 | Nara, Kanagawa / (used in proper nouns) | ナ | (none) | 8 | 奈良 (なら) "Nara"; 神奈川 (かながわ) "Kanagawa" | N1+ |
| 梨 | Yamanashi / pear | (none) | なし | 11 | 山梨 (やまなし) "Yamanashi Prefecture"; 梨 (なし) "Asian pear" | N1+ |
| 阪 | Osaka / slope | (ハン) | (none) | 7 | 大阪 (おおさか) "Osaka"; 阪神 (はんしん) "Hanshin region" | N2 |
| 阜 | Gifu / mound (also the kozatohen radical's namesake) | フ | (none) | 8 | 岐阜 (ぎふ) "Gifu Prefecture"; 阜 (ふ) "mound" (rare) | N1+ |
| 賀 | Shiga, Saga / congratulations | ガ | (none) | 12 | 滋賀 (しが); 佐賀 (さが); 年賀 (ねんが) "New Year greeting" | N1+ |
| 群 | Gunma / group, flock | グン | む-れる、む-れ、むら | 13 | 群馬 (ぐんま) "Gunma Prefecture"; 群れ (むれ) "flock, group" | N2 |
| 徳 | Tokushima / virtue | トク | (none) | 14 | 徳島 (とくしま) "Tokushima Prefecture"; 道徳 (どうとく) "morality" | N2 |
| 富 | Toyama / wealth | フ、フウ | と-む、とみ | 12 | 富山 (とやま) "Toyama Prefecture"; 富 (とみ) "wealth" | N2 |
| 城 | Ibaraki, Miyagi / castle | ジョウ | しろ | 9 | 茨城 (いばらき); 宮城 (みやぎ); 城 (しろ) "castle" | N2 |
Total: 202 distinct characters across the eight tables above. Character forms taken from the 常用漢字表;9 grade-4 allocation per the H29 学年別漢字配当表;12 stroke counts from KANJIDIC2.1816
Patterns within grade 4
The seven thematic clusters give the 202-row table its learning structure. Several clusters mark the first appearance of an entire vocabulary layer in the kyōiku set. This is the structural reason grade 4 is described as the turning point.
Prefecture names: the new block
The 25-kanji prefecture block is the year's most visible policy event.312 Several of these kanji are used almost exclusively in prefecture names (栃, 茨, 媛, 阜, 潟, 埼), and the JLPT lists either omit them or push them to N1.1011 Others also appear in everyday vocabulary: 香 in 香り (かおり, fragrance) and 香水 (こうすい, perfume), 鹿 in 鹿 itself (しか, deer), 沖 in 沖 (おき, the open sea), 井 in 井戸 (いど, well) and as a common surname element (今井, 石井, 永井), 阪 in 阪神 and 大阪, 奈 in 奈良 and 神奈川, 縄 in 縄 (なわ, rope) and 縄文 (じょうもん, the Jōmon period).1513
観光客は鹿児島や沖縄を訪れることが多い。14
"Tourists often visit places like Kagoshima and Okinawa."
The H29 告示 addition is the reason a Japanese fourth grader can read all 47 都道府県. Before 2017, even a Japanese sixth grader had to wait until secondary school for 媛, 阜, 茨, 潟, 栃.312
Civics, government, and society
Grade 4 is the first year a learner can read 議, the core civics kanji behind 議会 (parliament), 議員 (legislator), 議論 (discussion), 会議 (meeting), and 議事録 (minutes).1314 At 20 strokes, 議 is also one of the year's stroke-count ceilings.17 Combined with grade-4 法, 民, 約, 兵, 軍, 隊, the civics-vocabulary base is now usable.
議会で新しい法律が決まった。14
"A new law was passed in parliament."
The heaviest civics kanji wait for grade 5 or 6: 政 (politics, grade 5), 統 (overall, grade 5), 党 (party, grade 6), 律 (law / rhythm, grade 6), 権 (authority, grade 6). The grade-4 set is enough to read 議会, 法律, 政府 (政 grade-5 + 府 grade-4), and 国民, but not enough to read 政党 or 律法権.4
Industry, trade, and the economy
Grade 4 is where the language of work appears in volume: 産業 (industry), 工業 (industry, both lower-grade), 商業 (commerce), 貨物 (cargo), 競争 (competition, both grade 4), 努力 (effort), 関係 (relation), and 機械 (machinery, both grade 4).1413 Learners first meet most of these kanji inside two-kanji compounds, not as standalone characters.
試験のために毎日一時間努力している。14
"I put in an hour of effort every day for the exam."
The four effort-related characters (努, 労, 働, 競) form a small but tight cluster: 努力する, 労働, 働く, and 競争 all use this set.13
Abstract qualities and feelings
Grade 4 is the first year that asks a learner to read truly abstract emotional and ethical vocabulary: 愛情 (love), 希望 (hope), 願望 (wishes), 信念 (conviction), 努力 (effort), 必要 (necessity), 失敗 (failure), 結果 (result), and 残念 (regret).1314 Up through grade 3, the abstract-quality kanji were limited to 幸, 福, 安, 平, 和, 命, 苦, 悲, 美, 悪. Grade 4 roughly doubles this set and adds the verbs of pursuit (求 seek, 望 hope, 願 wish, 結 tie).
The grade also introduces the major prefix morphemes that drive compound formation: 不 (not, fu / bu) as a productive negation prefix (不安 anxiety, 不便 inconvenient, 不要 unnecessary); 副 (vice-, secondary) as a subordinate-rank prefix (副社長 vice-president, 副作用 side effect); and 別 (separate, different) as both a standalone noun and a prefix-like compound member (区別 distinction, 別々 separately).1314
Geography, weather, and natural features
Grade 4 completes the basic geographic-noun vocabulary: 陸 (land), 浅 (shallow water), with lower-grade 岸 (shore), 海 (sea), 池 (pond), and the moved-in 城 (castle, from grade 6). Combined with the 25 prefecture-name kanji, grade 4 delivers the entire Japanese-geography reading layer in one year.34
The 氵 (water radical) cluster at grade 4 is particularly dense: 浅, 浴, 漁, 清, 治, plus the prefecture-only 潟 (lagoon) and 滋 (Shiga). Combined with grade-3's water-radical members (湖, 港, 波, 油, 流, 泳, 注, 消, 深, 温), the 氵 pattern is the most statistically dominant semantic-radical pattern in the kyōiku set. Seventeen grade-3-and-4 characters carry 氵, and every one is about water or wetness.1324
Daily life, household, and the body
Grade 4 fills in the household-and-meal vocabulary (お風呂, 浴室, 食事, ご飯, 野菜, 食卓) and the personal-effects vocabulary (札 in 名札 / お札, 帯 in 包帯 / 一帯, 旗 in 国旗).1314
The daily-life cluster carries an unusually thick on'yomi-versus-kun'yomi load: 飯 (ハン / めし), 札 (サツ / ふだ), 帯 (タイ / おび), 旗 (キ / はた), 衣 (イ / ころも), 鏡 (キョウ / かがみ), 灯 (トウ / ひ), 街 (ガイ / まち), 倉 (ソウ / くら). Each character has both readings active in modern usage. This cluster is a natural anchor for learning to predict which reading appears in which compound type.1413
Time, measure, and counters
Grade 4 introduces the large-number kanji 億 (オク, hundred million = 10^8) and 兆 (チョウ, trillion = 10^12).1314 Combined with grade-1 万, grade-2 千, and grade-2 百, the full Japanese number system through trillions can now be written. The next step up, 京 (けい, 10^16), is rare in everyday text but appears occasionally in financial reporting.
The season-counter 季 is grade-4 new, and 季節 (きせつ, "season") becomes readable as a single grade-4 compound (季 grade-4 + 節 grade-4).13 四季 (the four seasons) and the seasonal-year vocabulary (春夏秋冬 + 季節) are now fully grade-4-readable.
Phonetic and semantic series at grade 4
Multi-member phonetic series
Grade 4 is the year phonetic-component (音符) prediction starts paying off across grade boundaries. The 形声 (keisei, "phono-semantic") category accounts for roughly 80% of all jōyō kanji. Grade 4 contains several clean shared-on'yomi families.1324
- 司 → 詞 / 飼 / 伺: a clean four-member series with consistent シ on'yomi across grade 4, 5, 6, and secondary.1324
- 包 → 胞 / 砲 / 飽: 包 (grade 4) is the phonetic, and ホウ runs through every derived character.
- 兆 → 挑 / 桃: 兆 gives consistent チョウ to 挑, but 桃 (peach) reads トウ. A useful counterexample: phonetic-component prediction is probabilistic, not absolute.
- 化 → 貨: grade-3 化 (カ, "change") drives grade-4 貨 (カ, "freight, money") with consistent カ on'yomi. A learner who met 化 in grade 3 can predict 貨 in grade 4 by recognising the phonetic component.1324
Semantic radicals that dominate grade 4
The 氵 (water radical) is grade 4's most statistically prominent semantic radical. Seven grade-4 kanji carry 氵 (浅, 浴, 漁, 清, 治, 潟, 滋), all about water or wetness.1324
The 言 (speech radical) cluster at grade 4 is the second-densest: 議, 試, 説, 訓, 課, 辞. Combined with grade-3's 詩, 調, 談 and grade-2's 言, 語, 読, 話, 計, 記, the 言-radical inventory has 13+ members by the end of grade 4. It forms one of the largest single-radical clusters in the kyōiku set.1324
The 阝 radical's two meanings finally come into focus
The 阝 radical appears on both sides of different kanji and carries two distinct meanings depending on position. Left-side 阝 is called こざとへん (kozatohen, "hill-side radical", derived from 阜) and means hill, mound, or place. Right-side 阝 is called おおざと (ōzato, "big-village radical", derived from 邑) and means settlement or town.1324
Grade 4 is the year both sides are represented in the same year's list, and the namesake of the left-side radical (阜 itself) joined grade 4 in the H29 告示. This is the first year a learner can put the position-encodes-meaning distinction to practical use.
How grade 4 maps to JLPT N3 and N2
The N3-majority and the N2 tail
The bulk of grade 4 sits on the JLPT N3 list: roughly 105 of 202 characters (~52%) appear on JLPTsensei N3.1020 A substantial N2 tail of roughly 64 characters (~32%) covers the formal-and-policy layer that JLPT pushes one level higher. These compounds are often policy, business, or scientific terms (議論, 努力, 観光, 統計, 競争).1121
A small N4 residue of about 8 characters (不, 飯, 別, 借, 産, 試, 説, 英, 建, 働) is placed at N4 by community lists because their compounds appear in pre-N3 textbook readings, even though MEXT defers them to grade 4.2010
The prefecture-name kanji block plus a few low-frequency kanji (roughly 25 characters, ~12%) sit at N1 or are unmapped in the JLPTsensei reconstructions. Most JLPT reading passages use prefecture names with furigana or in hiragana.1011
Distribution summary
| JLPT level | Approximate count | Approximate share |
|---|---|---|
| N4 (community-list residue) | 8 | ~4% |
| N3 | 105 | ~52% |
| N2 | 64 | ~32% |
| N1 or unmapped | 25 | ~12% |
The N3 + N2 combined share is roughly 84% (169 of 202). This confirms the main pattern: the JLPT center of gravity has shifted from N4 (grade 3 territory) to N3 (grade 4 territory).
Where it diverges: prefecture names and the cumulative coverage
The prefecture-only kanji are the most visible MEXT-vs-JLPT mismatch. 茨, 媛, 潟, 岐, 熊, 埼, 滋, 縄, 栃, 奈, 梨, 阜 are essential for reading the names of Japan's prefectures but rarely appear in JLPT reading passages. The five characters moved in from grade 5 or 6 (賀, 群, 徳, 富, 城) all appear on the JLPTsensei N2 list, because they have non-prefecture uses common enough in formal writing (道徳 morality, 富 wealth, 城 castle).11
The cumulative grade-1-through-grade-4 set is 80 + 160 + 200 + 202 = 642 kanji. This covers the full JLPT N5 and N4 community lists, roughly 75% of JLPTsensei N3, and roughly 30% of JLPTsensei N2.1011204 A learner who has mastered grades 1–4 knows most of the basic policy-and-business kanji that the JLPT N3 reading section uses.
Good to know
Grade 4 is the year you can read the map of Japan
Before the 2017 告示, the typical Japanese fourth grader could read roughly 27 of the 47 都道府県 names. The 20 prefecture-name kanji had not yet been added to the elementary set, so 茨城, 愛媛, 新潟, 岐阜, 熊本, 香川, 佐賀, 埼玉, 長崎, 滋賀, 鹿児島, 沖縄, 福井, 栃木, 奈良, 神奈川, 山梨, 大阪, 宮崎, 山形 were partially or fully unreadable at grade 4 without the missing characters.312 After the H29 告示 took effect on 2020-04-01, every Japanese fourth grader can read all 47.4
For an L2 learner, the practical payoff is immediate. Grade 4 is the year when travel signage, weather reports, news headlines, JR station signs, food-origin labels, and the prefecture column of any Japanese form become readable without furigana. The 47-prefecture-readability milestone is a genuine functional threshold.415
Learning the 20 prefecture-name kanji as a single map-anchored block tends to work better than mixing them into the larger 202-character SRS deck. A printed Japan map with each prefecture labelled in kanji and furigana, kept on the wall during grade-4 study, gives the visual anchor. The kun reading is the dominant reading for almost every member of the block.15
The 182-to-202 trap in legacy materials
Any kanji deck, textbook, or app whose grade-4 list contains 胃, 腸, 紀, 救, 型, 航, 告, 殺, 士, 史, 象, 賞, 貯, 停, 堂, 得, 毒, 費, 粉, 脈, 歴, 喜, 囲 is showing the pre-2020 list of 182 characters.317 Any list whose grade-4 entries include 茨, 媛, 岡, 潟, 岐, 熊, 香, 佐, 埼, 崎, 滋, 鹿, 縄, 井, 沖, 栃, 奈, 梨, 阪, 阜 is showing the current post-2020 list.24
A learner using a vendor-curated deck older than 2020 should expect the grade tags to be off by one or two grades for roughly 48 characters across the elementary set.43 Heisig RTK editions through the 4th include 胃 and 腸 in the volume-1 elementary tags but do not assign them to grade 4 under the H29 schema. The kanji set itself is unchanged, but the grade-mapping metadata is dated.
Stroke counts settle into the 10-to-14 band with a long upper tail
Grade 1 topped out near 12 strokes, grade 2's modal range was 8 to 10, and grade 3's modal range was 10 to 14. Grade 4 sits in roughly the same 10-to-14 modal band but extends the upper tail decisively.17 Characters in the 15+ stroke range at grade 4: 議 (20), 競 (20), 願 (19), 鏡 (19), 観 (18), 類 (18), 験 (18), 機 (16), 積 (16), 録 (16), 標 (15), 億 (15), 器 (15), 熱 (15), 課 (15), 輪 (15), 選 (15), 養 (15), 潟 (15).1718
Grade 4 contains seven characters with 18+ strokes (議, 競, 願, 鏡, 観, 類, 験), more than any earlier grade. The grade-4 ceiling rises to 20 strokes (議 and 競 both at 20).
The 20-prefecture addition does not move this average much because the prefecture-name kanji span the full stroke range: 井 (4), 沖 (7), 阪 (7), 佐 (7), 岐 (7), 岡 (8), 奈 (8), 阜 (8), 茨 (9), 栃 (9), 香 (9), 埼 (11), 崎 (11), 梨 (11), 鹿 (11), 媛 (12), 滋 (12), 熊 (14), 潟 (15), 縄 (15).16
Abstract-noun compounds make grade 4 the first JLPT N3 reading year
Grade 4 is the year when high-frequency two-kanji compounds made mostly of grade-4-or-earlier kanji finally include genuinely abstract nouns: 努力 (effort, 努 grade-4 + 力 grade-1), 競争 (competition, both grade 4), 議会 (parliament, 議 grade-4 + 会 grade-2), 産業 (industry, 産 grade-4 + 業 grade-3), 観光 (sightseeing, 観 grade-4 + 光 grade-2), 関係 (relation, 関 grade-4 + 係 grade-3), 信念 (conviction, both grade 4), 希望 (hope, both grade 4), 願望 (wishes, both grade 4), 必要 (necessary, both grade 4), 失敗 (failure, both grade 4), 結果 (result, both grade 4), 健康 (health, both grade 4), 経験 (experience, 経 grade-5 + 験 grade-4).1413
Up through grade 3, a learner could read most of the kanji in a children's book. From grade 4 onward, they can begin to read the kanji in a JLPT N3 newspaper-extract reading passage, with vocabulary support and a willingness to look up grade-5 politics-and-economics kanji like 政 and 統.1020
How to actually study this list
With 202 characters in a year and most of the JLPT N3 burden landing here, grade 4 is the point where mixed methods become almost mandatory and the daily review load needs a deliberate cap.2414 A learner who memorises 議 in isolation will not learn to read 議論; a learner who memorises 議論 first will find 議会, 議員, 議事録, and 会議 immediately approachable.
Two methods work well at this volume. Compound-frequency order: start with 政治, 経済, 議会, 産業, 努力, 関係, 観光, 希望, 結果, 必要, 失敗, 平和, 経験, 健康. Each is composed of grade-4-or-earlier kanji once 政 and 経 (both grade 5) are accepted as learn-by-context.25 Phonetic-series order: group the kanji by shared phonetic component (司 シ, 包 ホウ, 兆 チョウ, 反 ハン, 化 カ), so the on-reading is mastered once and applied across multiple grade-4-and-later characters.24
For the prefecture-name kanji specifically, the map-anchored block method works better than mixing them into the general SRS deck. A single visual layout, such as a Japan map with all 47 prefecture names in kanji and furigana, acts as the persistent retrieval cue, since most members of the block are pure proper-noun characters.15
See also
- How to Predict the Reading of an Unknown Kanji Compound: The On+On Default, Jūbako, Yutō, and the Look-It-Up Bucket
- Should You Learn Kanji in Frequency Order, School Order, or Pedagogical Order?
- How Many Kanji Do You Need? A Realistic Count
- Nanori (名乗り): The Name-Only Kanji Readings That Break the On/Kun Rules
- Jinmeiyō Kanji (人名用漢字): The 863 Name-Use Characters Beyond Jōyō
- Hyōgaiji (表外字): The Kanji Beyond Jōyō and Jinmeiyō