Middle and High School Students Should Write Characters Carefully So That Differences in Character Shape Do Not Lead to Differences in Character Style! [Extra Edition]

Last updated: 2026/08/04

This series, [Commonly Miswritten Characters], introduces characters that middle and high school students often write incorrectly, which I, Shime-no, an instructor of essay and composition writing, frequently encounter during my regular correction and grading, and serves as a warning to all middle and high school students and examinees.

A typeface designer's question: "Is it really okay to mark that kanji with an X?"

Yesterday, while looking at X (formerly Twitter), a very interesting article caught my eye. It is this article from the Mainichi Shimbun.

("Is that kanji really an X?" A question posed by a typeface designer)

This is an article about Hiromi Takada, a typeface designer at the major font manufacturer Morisawa, who produced a unique clear file featuring kanji that are easily marked incorrectly on tests.

In the article, Takada explains the reason for creating these clear files as follows:

At the same time, the article reports that "in schools, there is a reality where, regarding the kanji written by children, there is a demand for shapes exactly like those in textbooks, and grading has become unnecessarily strict."

As partially explained in the article, kanji have what are called "character type," "character shape," and "character style".

For example, "学" and "學" are considered the same character type. One is a new character and the other is an old character, but they are recognized as the "same character" when reading. However, "学" and "字" are similar, but they cannot be called the same character type. This is because their character shapes (the skeleton and structure of the character) are different. Since the character shapes are different, these two can be said to be different characters. However, when writing these characters by hand, from those written carefully stroke by stroke to those written in a cursive style, and combined with the writer's own handwriting habits, "various forms" are born. This is called "character style."

In other words, in kanji, what is recognized as being that character (character type) is due to the character shape (the composition of the character), and it is permitted to be written in various character styles within the framework determined by that character shape.

The explanation in the article above refers to this. If you write "土" with the top horizontal bar longer than the bottom one, like "士," it is not allowed because "the difference in character shape extends to a difference in character style." This is because "土" and "士" are fundamentally different character types with different character shapes, and it cannot be said that their "character shapes are the same." However, even if you write the top of "吉 (standard character)" like "土" (variant character - vulgar character), it is the same character type with the same character shape, so it can be said that there is no problem because the difference in character shape does not extend to a difference in character style. In short, it is not allowed if the character style changes due to a difference in character shape, resulting in a different character, but as long as the character shape does not change, it can be recognized as that character type, so there is no problem with the character style changing within the range permitted by that character shape. The "grading has become unnecessarily strict" mentioned here likely refers to cases where even these permissible differences in character style are marked as mistakes.

Furthermore, as mentioned in the article, this is also indicated in the Agency for Cultural Affairs' "Regarding the Concept of 'Character Style, Typeface, and Character Shape' in the Table of Commonly Used Kanji (Draft for Common Understanding)."

(Regarding the Concept of 'Character Style, Typeface, and Character Shape' in the Table of Commonly Used Kanji (Draft for Common Understanding))

Cases where it is difficult to determine whether a difference in character shape has become a difference in character style

...I think you have understood up to this point, but this is quite "easier said than done." The "distinction of whether a difference in character shape extends to a difference in character style" is quite difficult. What that typeface designer says is certainly correct, but as a corrector, I can honestly say, "I understand that, but there are some cases that are quite difficult." In other words, there are actually cases where it is difficult to judge whether it has crossed the line of "if it goes that far, it becomes a different character" or if it has stopped short of that line, or cases where it is difficult to distinguish whether it is written as that character or as a different character. Surely, other Japanese language and composition teachers must have encountered such cases.

For example

the character "頃" (koro), which is often

mistakenly written as

"項" (kou).

The reverse also happens. This is frequently seen in the essays of junior high school students.

However, the "工" on the left side of "項" can sometimes look a bit like the "ヒ" on the left side of "頃" if written somewhat sloppily (if you have paper and a pen nearby, please try writing it). It can also look like the reverse. If the curve at the bottom left of the "ヒ" is made a bit more acute and the top protrusion is made a bit shorter, it can look like "工". In such cases, it is very difficult to distinguish whether the student is writing "頃" or "項".It is impossible to tell for sure which one the student intended to write.

Therefore, in such cases, I comment, "The correct character here is '頃', but it looks like '項'. Please write characters carefully."As long as it is unclear whether the difference in glyphs extends to a difference in character type (whether they are writing it as that character or as a different character), I cannot definitively call it a mistake.However, I believe thatteaching them that 'the character you wrote looks like this to the reader' and encouraging them to write carefully is necessary as an educational guidance.I think.

So that differences in glyphs are not mistaken for differences in character types... Students! Write your characters carefully!

Ultimately,this problem can only be solved by making it a habit to 'write characters carefully.'Therefore, for middle and high school students, when writing essays or short papers, it comes down to saying,'Let's write each stroke of the characters carefully.'It isa problem in itself that it is written so sloppily that it looks like a different characterin the first place. I allow for various typefaces because it is that person's 'handwriting habit,' butit is a problem when writing sloppily makes the glyph look like a completely different character.Also,it can be said that consideration is needed to write characters carefully so they are not read that way. Students! Write your characters carefully!

...However, on the other hand, as mentioned in the aforementioned article, when providing guidance on characters,I also think it is going a bit too far in kanji education and guidance to not even allow for differences in typefaces just because one has become too faithful to the printed font in textbooks (even though the character is the same character type with the same glyph).Taking this opportunity of having read this article, I also wanted toreview my usual correction guidanceto see if I have been providing such guidance.

By the way, this clear file from Morisawa is apparently not for sale. I found myself wanting one. The article mentioned that they are distributed at events and such, but I wonder if Morisawa would sell them. I would buy one for study purposes (laughs).

(I am indebted to the following sites for searches and citations)

Mainichi Shimbun

Agency for Cultural Affairs (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology)

For those worried about 'how to write a statement of purpose,' this 'Shimeno-style template for creating a statement of purpose' is recommended!