Is Stroke Order Important in Japanese Writing?

If you ever purchased a copy of 漢字ドリル (Kanji drill/practice book), you have probably seen explanation and instruction around stroke orders — the order in which individual lines in a Kanji should be written. If you grew up in Japan, you might remember writing Kanji in the air to remember the right stroke order in classroom. Following the right stroke order sure can help you write a beautifully balanced Kanji but since no one would be able to actually know the way in which you wrote the Kanji (unless the said person stands behind you and stares at your pen and paper while you’re writing), is there really a point in remembering which flick should be first, followed by which dot? The answer is yes and no… keep reading to find out more!

The history of stroke order

Stroke order of Japanese Kanji characters was set in 1958 by the Ministry of Education in order to standardise how Kanji is taught and to prevent confusion in classrooms. ‘The stroke order guideline’ contains stroke orders of 881 educational Kanji (a list of Kanji that are taught in grade schools — this list has now expanded to 1006). This publication cites more than two different stroke orders for some of the Kanji. The guideline states that its purpose is to minimise confusion during the teaching processes, therefore stroke orders that differ from what’s on the guidelines, is not strictly incorrect or to be rejected. Yes, you read it right — the stroke order guidelines are not actually set in stone! It further states that these rules should be followed from a teaching point of perspective, however other commonly used stroke orders are fine too, and one cannot judge a Kanji based on the explanations given within this book.

The golden rule

But don’t stop reading this article here, thinking that stroke orders are useless and unreliable. Though there are exceptions from time to time, there are some basic rules that apply to most Kanji.

Important rule 1. Write from top to bottom.

Important rule 2. Write from left to right.

If you want to find out all about stroke order rules and exceptions — why don’t you check out this page? http://kakijun.jp/en/ You can search Kanji by sound or definition and learn the stroke orders following the animation. My verdict on stroke order is.. ‘Remembering and following the standardised stroke order can give you the basic understanding of construction of Kanji and help you create a mental of model of how each Kanji should be written; however the important things in handwritten Kanji are its coherence and balance, not just following the stroke order.’ …What’s your verdict?

Learn beginner and intermediate Kanji on Eggbun Japanese app: https://eggbun3.app.link/od7N5elPFF