General JLPT study covers everyday kanji, but working in Japan demands specialized vocabulary that textbooks rarely teach. Whether you’re a software engineer debugging in Japanese, a nurse reading patient charts, or a business professional attending 会議 (かいぎ, meetings), industry-specific kanji is your key to professional success.
This guide groups essential kanji by four major professional fields, complete with readings, common compounds, and real workplace context.
IT & Technology: IT・テクノロジー
Japan’s tech industry uses a mix of kanji and katakana loanwords. Here are the kanji terms you’ll encounter daily in a Japanese tech company:
| Kanji | Reading | Meaning | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| 設定 | せってい | Settings | App menus, system config |
| 検索 | けんさく | Search | Search bars, database queries |
| 接続 | せつぞく | Connection | Network, API connections |
| 更新 | こうしん | Update | Software updates, data refresh |
| 保存 | ほぞん | Save | File save, data persistence |
| 削除 | さくじょ | Delete | Data deletion, file removal |
| 入力 | にゅうりょく | Input | Form input, data entry |
| 出力 | しゅつりょく | Output | Print, display, export |
| 実行 | じっこう | Execute / Run | Running programs, commands |
| 変換 | へんかん | Convert / Transform | Data conversion, encoding |
| 復元 | ふくげん | Restore / Recover | Backup restoration |
| 権限 | けんげん | Permissions | User roles, access control |
Common IT compound words you’ll see in Slack messages and Jira tickets:
| Compound | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 開発環境 | かいはつかんきょう | Development environment |
| 本番環境 | ほんばんかんきょう | Production environment |
| 脆弱性 | ぜいじゃくせい | Vulnerability |
| 暗号化 | あんごうか | Encryption |
| 運用保守 | うんようほしゅ | Operations & maintenance |
Medical: 医療（いりょう）
Whether you’re a medical professional or just need to visit a Japanese hospital, these kanji are critical for understanding medical contexts:
| Kanji | Reading | Meaning | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| 診察 | しんさつ | Medical examination | Doctor’s consultation |
| 処方 | しょほう | Prescription | Medication orders |
| 手術 | しゅじゅつ | Surgery | Surgical procedures |
| 症状 | しょうじょう | Symptoms | Patient intake forms |
| 受付 | うけつけ | Reception | Hospital front desk |
| 内科 | ないか | Internal medicine | Department signs |
| 外科 | げか | Surgery department | Department signs |
| 小児科 | しょうにか | Pediatrics | Department signs |
| 皮膚科 | ひふか | Dermatology | Department signs |
| 歯科 | しか | Dentistry | Dental clinics |
| 血圧 | けつあつ | Blood pressure | Vital signs |
| 体温 | たいおん | Body temperature | Vital signs |
| 注射 | ちゅうしゃ | Injection | Vaccinations, treatments |
| 薬局 | やっきょく | Pharmacy | Picking up prescriptions |
Legal: 法律（ほうりつ）
Legal kanji appears in contracts, tenant agreements, employment terms, and official documents. Even if you’re not a lawyer, you’ll encounter these when signing a lease or employment contract:
| Kanji | Reading | Meaning | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| 契約 | けいやく | Contract | Rental, employment agreements |
| 裁判 | さいばん | Trial / Court case | Legal proceedings |
| 弁護 | べんご | Defense / Advocacy | 弁護士 = lawyer |
| 法律 | ほうりつ | Law | Legal documents |
| 規約 | きやく | Terms / Regulations | Terms of service |
| 条件 | じょうけん | Conditions / Terms | Contract conditions |
| 義務 | ぎむ | Obligation / Duty | Legal obligations |
| 権利 | けんり | Rights | Legal rights |
| 違反 | いはん | Violation | Contract breach, traffic violations |
| 免責 | めんせき | Disclaimer / Exemption | Liability clauses |
| 甲・乙 | こう・おつ | Party A / Party B | Contract parties |
In Japanese contracts, the parties are referred to as 甲 (こう, Party A — usually the company) and 乙 (おつ, Party B — usually the individual). Always look for 解約 (かいやく, cancellation) terms before signing.
Business: ビジネス
Corporate Japan runs on kanji. From morning 朝礼 (ちょうれい, morning meetings) to quarterly 決算 (けっさん, financial settlements), here’s what you need:
| Kanji | Reading | Meaning | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| 会議 | かいぎ | Meeting | 会議室 = meeting room |
| 企画 | きかく | Planning / Project | 企画書 = proposal document |
| 営業 | えいぎょう | Sales / Business | 営業部 = sales department |
| 決算 | けっさん | Financial settlement | Quarterly/annual reports |
| 稟議 | りんぎ | Request for approval | Internal approval process |
| 出張 | しゅっちょう | Business trip | Travel requests |
| 経費 | けいひ | Expenses | Expense reports |
| 請求書 | せいきゅうしょ | Invoice | Billing documents |
| 見積書 | みつもりしょ | Estimate / Quote | Price quotations |
| 領収書 | りょうしゅうしょ | Receipt | Expense documentation |
| 報告書 | ほうこくしょ | Report | Business reports |
| 承認 | しょうにん | Approval | Document approval stamps |
Cross-Industry Essential Kanji
Regardless of your field, these kanji appear in every Japanese workplace:
| Kanji | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 担当 | たんとう | Person in charge |
| 責任 | せきにん | Responsibility |
| 期限 | きげん | Deadline |
| 提出 | ていしゅつ | Submission |
| 確認 | かくにん | Confirmation |
| 対応 | たいおう | Response / Handling |
| 資料 | しりょう | Materials / Documents |
| 研修 | けんしゅう | Training |
Related Reading on Kanjijo
Frequently Asked Questions
The most essential IT kanji include 設定 (せってい, settings), 検索 (けんさく, search), 接続 (せつぞく, connection), 更新 (こうしん, update), 保存 (ほぞん, save), and 削除 (さくじょ, delete). These appear in every software interface and tech meeting.
Knowing basic medical kanji like 診察 (しんさつ, examination), 処方箋 (しょほうせん, prescription), 症状 (しょうじょう, symptoms), and 受付 (うけつけ, reception) will help you navigate hospitals. Many large hospitals offer interpreter services, but smaller clinics may not.
Focus on kanji relevant to your specific field first. Use Kanjijo to scan workplace documents and create targeted flashcard decks. Study compounds in context rather than isolated characters, and practice reading real documents from your industry.
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