# Kanji API > The Japanese kanji writing system as an API — every Jōyō, Kyōiku and Jinmeiyō kanji with its on/kun readings, English meanings, JLPT level, school grade, stroke count and newspaper frequency. Look up a single kanji (e.g. 字 → grade 1, JLPT 4, readings ジ / あざ, meanings "character, letter"), find every kanji that shares a kana reading (e.g. かじ), list the vocabulary that uses a given kanji, or pull a whole standard set (Jōyō 2,136 · Kyōiku · grade-1…grade-6 · Jinmeiyō) with paging. Backed by the open KANJIDIC2 / JMdict datasets via kanjiapi.dev. Ideal for Japanese-learning and flashcard apps, SRS/Anki-style study tools, furigana and reading aids, language-education platforms and linguistics research. ## Authentication All requests require your oanor API key in the `x-oanor-key` header. Get one at https://www.oanor.com/developer/keys. ```bash curl -H "x-oanor-key: oanor_live_…" "https://api.oanor.com/kanji-api/..." ``` ## Pricing - **Free** (Free) — 2,800 calls/Mo, 2 req/s - **Starter** ($5/Mo) — 44,000 calls/Mo, 8 req/s - **Pro** ($16/Mo) — 220,000 calls/Mo, 20 req/s - **Mega** ($40/Mo) — 1,100,000 calls/Mo, 50 req/s ## Endpoints ### Kanji #### `GET /v1/kanji` — A single kanji: readings, meanings, JLPT, grade, strokes **Parameters:** - `character` (query, required, string) — A single kanji, e.g. 字 Example: `字` **Example:** ```bash curl -H "x-oanor-key: $KEY" \ "https://api.oanor.com/kanji-api/v1/kanji?character=%E5%AD%97" ``` **Response:** ```json { "data": { "kanji": { "jlpt": 4, "grade": 1, "kanji": "字", "notes": [], "unicode": "5B57", "meanings": [ "character", "letter", "section of village", "word" ], "frequency": 485, "on_readings": [ "ジ" ], "kun_readings": [ "-な", "あざ", "あざな" ], "stroke_count": 6, "name_readings": [], "heisig_keyword": "character" } }, "meta": { "timestamp": "2026-06-01T00:04:44.442Z", "request_id": "9f160eda-eb71-4d5c-a03c-b4e5a78a8239" }, "status": "ok", "message": "Kanji retrieved", "success": true } ``` #### `GET /v1/reading` — Kanji that share a kana reading **Parameters:** - `reading` (query, required, string) — A hiragana/katakana reading, e.g. かじ Example: `かじ` **Example:** ```bash curl -H "x-oanor-key: $KEY" \ "https://api.oanor.com/kanji-api/v1/reading?reading=%E3%81%8B%E3%81%98" ``` **Response:** ```json { "data": { "reading": { "reading": "かじ", "main_kanji": [ "柁", "柂", "梶", "楫", "榜", "槳", "橈", "檝", "櫂", "牓", "舵" ], "name_kanji": [] } }, "meta": { "timestamp": "2026-06-01T00:04:44.568Z", "request_id": "33f41c3c-2a8f-40da-ae60-a4f37b2b38a6" }, "status": "ok", "message": "Reading retrieved", "success": true } ``` #### `GET /v1/words` — Vocabulary that uses a kanji **Parameters:** - `character` (query, required, string) — A single kanji, e.g. 字 Example: `字` - `limit` (query, optional, string) — Max words (1-200, default 30) Example: `20` **Example:** ```bash curl -H "x-oanor-key: $KEY" \ "https://api.oanor.com/kanji-api/v1/words?character=%E5%AD%97&limit=20" ``` **Response:** ```json { "data": { "count": 20, "total": 890, "words": [ { "meanings": [ "(bind) firmly" ], "variants": [ { "written": "雁字搦みに", "priorities": [], "pronounced": "がんじがらみに" } ] }, { "meanings": [ "(in) the shape of the character hachi (eight)" ], "variants": [ { "written": "八文字", "priorities": [], "pronounced": "はちもんじ" } ] }, { "meanings": [ "(words with) different kanji but the same Japanese reading (and usu. a similar meaning)" ], "variants": [ { "written": "異字同訓", "priorities": [], "pronounced": "いじどうくん" } ] }, { "meanings": [ "(words with) different kanji but the same Japanese reading (and usu. a similar meaning)" ], "variants": [ { …(truncated, see openapi.json for full schema) ``` ### Sets #### `GET /v1/list` — A standard kanji set with paging **Parameters:** - `set` (query, optional, string) — jouyou | kyouiku | grade-1..grade-6 | grade-8 | jinmeiyou | heisig | all (default jouyou) Example: `grade-1` - `limit` (query, optional, string) — Page size (1-500, default 100) Example: `50` - `offset` (query, optional, string) — Pagination offset Example: `0` **Example:** ```bash curl -H "x-oanor-key: $KEY" \ "https://api.oanor.com/kanji-api/v1/list?set=grade-1&limit=50&offset=0" ``` **Response:** ```json { "data": { "set": "grade-1", "count": 50, "kanji": [ "一", "七", "三", "上", "下", "中", "九", "二", "五", "人", "休", "先", "入", "八", "六", "円", "出", "力", "十", "千", "口", "右", "名", "四", "土", "夕", "大", "天", "女", "子", "字", "学", "小", "山", "川", "左", "年", "手", "文", "日", "早", "月", "木", "本", "村", "林", "校", "森", "正", "気" ], "total": 80, "offset": 0 }, "meta": { "timestamp": "2026-06-01T00:04:44.877Z", "request_id": "64d39746-9a3b-4e47-b844-f386140fda14" }, "status": "ok", "message": "Kanji set retrieved", "success": true } ``` ### Meta #### `GET /v1/meta` — Available sets & source **Example:** ```bash curl -H "x-oanor-key: $KEY" \ "https://api.oanor.com/kanji-api/v1/meta" ``` **Response:** ```json { "data": { "note": "Japanese kanji dictionary. /v1/kanji = one kanji's readings (on/kun), meanings, JLPT, grade, stroke count and frequency (e.g. character=字); /v1/reading = kanji sharing a kana reading (e.g. reading=かじ); /v1/words = vocabulary using a kanji; /v1/list = a standard set (set=jouyou|kyouiku|grade-1..grade-6|grade-8|jinmeiyou|heisig|all) with limit/offset paging. Data: KANJIDIC2 / JMdict via kanjiapi.dev.", "sets": [ "grade-1", "grade-2", "grade-3", "grade-4", "grade-5", "grade-6", "grade-8", "kyouiku", "jouyou", "jinmeiyou", "heisig", "all" ], "source": "kanjiapi.dev", "endpoints": [ "/v1/kanji", "/v1/reading", "/v1/words", "/v1/list", "/v1/meta" ] }, "meta": { "timestamp": "2026-06-01T00:04:44.945Z", "request_id": "7b316d95-f67c-48e7-a602-837ba99446be" }, "status": "ok", "message": "Meta retrieved", "success": true } ``` --- Marketplace page: https://www.oanor.com/api/kanji-api OpenAPI spec: https://www.oanor.com/api/kanji-api/openapi.json