About Kanji Library
Kanji Library is a free, fast reference for people learning to read Japanese. No account, no paywall — just accurate data presented cleanly.
Data sources & licenses
This site uses the following open data. We're grateful to their maintainers:
| Source | Used for | License |
|---|---|---|
| KANJIDIC2 (EDRDG) | Kanji readings, meanings, stroke counts, school grades, frequency | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
| JMdict (EDRDG) | Example words and their readings/meanings; verb classes and transitivity | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
| jlpt-word-list (elzup / Jamie Sinclair) | JLPT N5–N1 vocabulary lists (based on Jonathan Waller's CC-BY lists) | MIT |
| KanjiVG (Ulrich Apel) | Stroke order diagrams | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
| kanji-data (David Gouveia) | Mapping of kanji to JLPT N5–N1 levels | MIT |
Kanji Sensei
Our mascot is 漢字先生 (Kanji Sensei), an owl in a red haori with a calligraphy brush. Every illustration on this site — the mascot and the culture article artwork — is original vector art drawn for Kanji Library, so you will not find a stock photo or an unlicensed image anywhere on it.
Text & illustrations
Kana charts, number guides, quizzes and all explanatory text are written for this site. Kanji/vocabulary data on this site is derived from the sources above and is available under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 terms.
About the JLPT levels
The Japan Foundation does not publish official kanji lists for the current JLPT, so, like every study site, our N5–N1 groupings are community estimates based on past exams. They are accurate enough to organize your study, but the exam itself may differ slightly at the edges. JLPT is a trademark of the Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services; this site is independent and not affiliated with them.
Contact
Found an error? We want to fix it — message @KanjiSenseiLibr on X, or reach Kanji Sensei on Instagram or TikTok. A dedicated contact form is coming.
