Learn How to Write Japanese Kanji

Write horizontal strokes left to right. Write vertical strokes top to bottom.

Horizontal before vertical in most cases. Start from the top-left corner of the kanji.

If a vertical stroke is flanked by symmetrical diagonals (e.g., 木), write the center vertical first.

First: left vertical stroke. Second: top horizontal + right vertical (one stroke). Third: bottom horizontal.

For enclosures (e.g., 国, 同), draw three sides first, then contents inside, finally close the bottom if applicable.

Components like ⻌ (in 近, 道) are written after the rest of the kanji.

Right-to-left diagonals (丿) before left-to-right diagonals (乀). If diagonals cross (e.g., 父), start with the top-right diagonal.

A stroke passing through many others (e.g., vertical in 書) is written after the strokes it crosses.

Usually written last, unless at the very top (e.g., 主) or part of a component within a larger kanji.

Break complex kanji into radicals. Write radical by radical, typically top-left to bottom-right. Reset stroke-order rules for each new radical.

Some kanji have irregular stroke orders. Use our kanji learning tool at WriteJapanese.com for verification if needed.

Practice helps internalize rules. Correct stroke order improves writing speed, legibility, and character balance.