JŌYŌ KANJI · Grade 2
sea
sea · ocean
Readings
Official Jōyō readings in table order
On’yomi 音読み
Kun’yomi 訓読み
Origin and meaning
It originally referred to the dark, deep sea, and still commonly means sea.
Written form
The official Jōyō table also prints the following parenthesized form beside 海:
Compare manuscript and printed examples in the HNG historical glyph archive ↗. Where available, its dated samples document written forms; they do not establish the first use of this character in Japan.
Examples in the official table
- 海岸，海水浴，航海
- 海，海鳴り
Official notes
- 海女・海士（あま）
- 海原（うなばら）
When did it enter Japanese?
Chinese characters reached Japan through a long process of contact. Early inscribed objects and sixth-century Japanese names are documented; this is context for the writing system, not a first date for 海.
海 appears in the current Jōyō kanji table published on 30 November 2010. This records modern standard status, not the date the character was first used in Japan.
A dated first Japanese use for 海 has not been verified in the sources attached to this entry.
Agency for Cultural Affairs: writing history ↗ · 2010 Jōyō notice ↗