jōyō kanji

(Chinese characters for common use). A list of 1,945 Chinese characters (kanji) officially designated by the Japanese government on October 1, 1981 for common use in writing Japanese. The 1981 list superseded the 1,850-character tōyō kanji (Chinese characters for daily use), a similar list that had been officially adopted in 1946. The official listing, called the Jōyō kanjihyō (Table of Chinese Characters for Common Use) includes not only the designated characters in their designated physical form but also their designated pronunciations and examples of their use in writing words. (adapted from Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia. Tokyo: Kodansha, 1993)