Yamasa Online Japanese Dictionary

The Yamasa Institute
O nline C enter for J apanese S tudies

Innovative, International & Non Profit
supported by the Hattori Foundation (est. 1919)

OCJS Online Japanese Dictionary

Do you want to study Japanese characters efficiently? If yes, check Yamasa Kanji databases for SuperMemo program.

Welcome to the test version of Yamasa's OCJS Online Dictionary. This dictionary is the only one of its kind. As mentioned when released via the Yamasa Newsletter Issue #44, this dictionary is published in English, Chinese (Traditional), Spanish, Korean, German and Czech and includes both a word dictionary and a Kanji dictionary in an online database. The current version is still a test version prototype, so at times the server or connection may be slow. (At times it may extremely slow!) If you access an area that is incomplete then the sections will usually show the message "General Error". Please note that the dictionary will be moved to a faster server when it is officially launched in April - we are making it publicly available now only so that language learners can immediately utilize those sections that have been completed, and to test the system for ease of use. If you would like to meet the team members behind the project, please click here.

Kanji Kanji Kanji

Print form for
(newspapers etc)
Animation for
stroke order

Handwriting
sample

In addition to the Kanji readings and meanings, it also includes 3 images of each character. These include a print form, an animation of each Kanji to show the stroke order, and a third version that we have included to help you when reading hand written characters - for example in postcards or letters.

At the right you can see the print form, animation and handwriting sample for the Japanese character for "mountain pass". You will often see this character if travelling in the mountains that cover 80% of Japan.

When you start using the dictionary, please note that although the 1006 basic characters that are taught in elementary/primary school are viewable without registration (and will remain so), to view all of the characters you will eventually need to register. Registration is intended only to help us improve the dictionary via your feedback and in the future may require a small fee if you are not already at Yamasa. All data is protected - for details please browse the yamasa.org privacy policy.

Key Features:

You can view Kanji in different listings. In other words, you can search via the On Reading, Kun Reading, Number of strokes used to write the character, by its meaning or by the radical component. Some of these sections will require a password for access after the move to the new servers. Also available is the gradually developing Kana dictionary - useful for deciphering obscure katakana and gairaigo words. You can also search for individual Kanji - for example by copy/pasting a word from an online newspaper or Japanese website, or by inputting a character or compound word.

The final feature available in the test version is a Kanji Link generator. The link generator is designed to help you read online text. If you copy an article (for example from the online version of a Japanese newspaper) or a Japanese email and paste it into the link generator, then each of the Kanji in the text you have pasted will be hyperlinked to the dictionary entry. This way you can concentrate on the grammar, and simply click on any Kanji you don't know the reading of. A more sophisticated link generator is under development and should be launched in April or May.

One last thing....

Please note that the settings of your browser should be for displaying script in your preferred language. For example if you are an English speaker using a computer at Yamasa that someone else has set to Korean - then the dictionary will appear in Korean unless you reset the browser to read English.

"How do I do this?"

If you are using Internet Explorer, click tools, then internet options, then the general tab and then click the language button. Select English (or your preferred language) and set it as your preference. If your preferred language is not listed you can add it.

If you are using Netscape, click Edit, then Settings, click on Navigator on the left, and then Language. Select English (or your preferred language) and set it as your preference.

To enter the dictionary please click here.

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