The world’s toughest! A collection of insanely hard-to-read kanji
The kanji that we Japanese use as a matter of course come naturally to us not only when writing sentences but even when we’re calling something to mind.
In fact, texts written only in hiragana or katakana are very hard to read, and just thinking about that shows how convenient kanji are.
Even for us, who are so familiar with kanji in our daily lives, there are many characters that make us scratch our heads and ask, “How do you read this?”
In this article, we’ve picked out kanji that not only people overseas studying Japanese but even a large majority of Japanese people can’t read.
We include their readings as well as the origins of the words, but first, have fun seeing how many you can read—like a kanji quiz!
The World’s Toughest! A Collection of Super Difficult Kanji (1–10)
gentian
It is the name of a plant whose root is used in traditional Chinese medicine, and whose name comes from the saying that it is “as bitter as a dragon’s gall.” The characters for “dragon’s gall” were chosen because its bitterness suggests it might be even more effective than the long-prized “bear’s gall.” Some people may think of it as one of the plants that symbolize autumn, as it bears purple flowers from summer to autumn.
The answer is gentian; its root is still used today in traditional remedies, known as “rindō” or “ryūtan” in Japanese, for its beneficial effects on the stomach.
Zamma
A common case of difficult kanji is proper nouns.
Since ateji (phonetic substitute characters) are somewhat allowed, the range of possible readings is limitless, right? “坐摩” is a difficult kanji to read, with no useful clues from either the on-yomi or the kun-yomi.
It’s read ikasuri, derived from the name of the deity Ikasuri Ōnokami (Ikasuri Ōokami).
The Zama Shrine—affectionately known locally as “Zama-san”—is a venerable shrine located in Chūō Ward, Osaka.
Its goshuin (seal stamp) also bears the white heron crest, the shrine’s divine emblem.
Because Zama Shrine is the ichinomiya of Settsu Province, they also sell special goshuinchō (stamp books) for the Ichinomiya pilgrimage.
hale and hearty
It’s a common thing with Chinese restaurant menus: there are quite a few kanji we can read but can’t write.
For example, you can read 拉麺 as “ramen,” and 焼売 as “shumai,” but writing them is another story.
Why is that, I wonder? The kanji I’m about to introduce, 矍鑠, goes a step further—it’s the boss of kanji you can neither read nor write.
Many people may not even know the word itself.
“矍鑠” is read as “kakushaku,” and it describes someone who remains robust and energetic even in old age.
Did you know this word? I’d say it’s around Level 1 on the Kanji Kentei.
If you’re interested, give it a try!
okra
There are many difficult-to-read kanji for vegetables.
ウォームアップとして、いくつか出題します。次の三つ—茄子、南瓜、玉蜀黍—は読めますか？答えはこの順に、なすび（ナス）、かぼちゃ、とうもろこしです。
Now, how do you read the featured word 秋葵? Hint: although the kanji uses the old lunar calendar, in today’s calendar it’s a summer vegetable.
It’s a member of the mallow family and bears edible pods.
Got it? The answer is okra.
Okra is rich in vitamins and minerals, making it perfect for preventing summer fatigue.
Japanese andromeda
There are many difficult-to-read kanji even in plant names like sunflower, violet, and dandelion.
By the way, could you read those three? The answers are, in order: Himawari, Sumire, and Tanpopo.
Now, how do you read this time’s “馬酔木”? Let me share an anecdote about this plant—it’s a hint.
If you eat this plant, whether you’re a horse or a human, your legs will feel numb.
Maybe the staggering looked like drunkenness, which is why the character for “drunk” is included.
From “ashi ga shibireru” (legs go numb) to “ashi shibire”… and so the answer is “asebi.” It’s a poisonous plant, so never put it in your mouth!
Ulva (green laver)
Even ingredients we casually eat all the time can become unrecognizable when written in kanji, right? “石蓴” might be one of those.
Let me present it as a quiz.
Hint 1: It’s found in the sea.
Hint 2: It’s closely related to wakame and kombu.
Got it? Yes—the answer is aonori/sea lettuce (aosa).
You often see it on sushi restaurant menus.
There’s even a theory that the name aosa came from “aokusa” (green weed) that grows on rocks, with the “ku” dropped.
After all, the kanji for 石蓴 includes the character for “stone” (石).
walrus
Let’s read this kanji in a quiz format.
Hint 1: It’s the name of an animal.
But “animal” is too broad, isn’t it? Okay, Hint 2: It’s an animal that lives in the sea.
Squid? Octopus? Hmm, still too broad.
Then, Hint 3: It’s not a fish.
We’re getting closer.
Final hint: This animal belongs to the Otariidae (eared seal) family.
That’s right—the answer is a fur seal.
It’s said that the fur seal’s penis was valued in traditional Chinese medicine, and because of that, the kanji using the character for “navel” (臍) was applied, since it’s close in meaning or association.
Originally, 膃肭臍 (ottosei) was the name of a medicinal substance.
Uma Daitō
Since the kanji for “horse” is used, you might first think of an animal, but this is actually the name of an insect.
The kanji “馬” (horse) carries the meaning of “large,” and it describes the shape as having a “horse-like large head.” If the pattern using “馬大頭” doesn’t help, seeing another pattern that uses different kanji—“鬼蜻蛉”—will likely lead you to the answer.
The correct answer is the “onikyanma,” the largest dragonfly found in Japan.
Once you hear the answer, the use of the kanji for “horse” makes sense given its size.
Entering the imperial court (especially the act of a woman entering the court as an imperial consort)
It’s a pattern where commonly seen kanji are combined to give them an unusual reading that we don’t normally use.
If you read it straightforwardly, you might think of iriuchi or nyūnai, but let’s consider the alternative readings.
The hint lies in the era when this term was used—if you picture the Heian period or Hina dolls that take it as a motif, you’ll likely arrive at the answer.
The answer is judai, a term that referred to consorts such as the Chūgū or Nyōgo entering the imperial palace (Dairi).
There are other words in which 入 is read as ju and 内 is read as dai, so knowing those is also an important clue.
pea
Many of you might already know the word “豌豆.” Some supermarkets even use this kanji on their product labels.
The answer is “endō.” If you answered “endō-mame,” that’s incorrect.
We can understand the “bean” (豆) part, but what does “豌” mean? Apparently, it’s said to come from the name of a large country called “Daiwan-koku” that once existed in what is now Uzbekistan, the supposed place of origin of peas.
Incidentally, “Daiwan” means “a very large oasis.” Everything has an origin, doesn’t it?