Interactive Hiragana & Katakana Chart
Explore all Japanese kana characters organized in the traditional gojuon order. Click any character to see its details including romaji reading and both hiragana and katakana forms.
Basic Kana (Gojuon) - 46 Characters
The foundation of Japanese writing. These 46 characters represent all basic sounds in the Japanese language.
Dakuten (Voiced) - 20 Characters
Created by adding two small diagonal strokes (dakuten) to basic kana, these characters represent voiced consonant sounds.
Handakuten (Semi-Voiced) - 5 Characters
Created by adding a small circle (handakuten) to the H-row kana, producing the P-row sounds.
Master all kana with our structured JLPT N5 course
Learning hiragana and katakana is the first step to reading Japanese. Our JLPT N5 course covers all kana characters with structured lessons, writing practice, and reading exercises to build a strong foundation.
Start JLPT N5 CourseFrequently Asked Questions
How many hiragana and katakana characters are there?
There are 46 basic hiragana characters and 46 basic katakana characters in the gojuon (fifty sounds) system. However, some cells in the traditional grid are empty because certain sound combinations are no longer used in modern Japanese. In addition to the basic 46, there are 20 dakuten characters (voiced consonants like ga, za, da, ba) and 5 handakuten characters (semi-voiced sounds: pa, pi, pu, pe, po), bringing the total to 71 distinct kana characters. Each hiragana character has an exact katakana equivalent representing the same sound.
What is the difference between hiragana and katakana?
Hiragana and katakana represent the same set of Japanese sounds but are used in different contexts. Hiragana is the primary script for native Japanese words, grammatical particles, verb endings, and furigana (reading aids above kanji). Katakana is used for foreign loanwords (such as "coffee" written as コーヒー), scientific and technical terms, onomatopoeia, and emphasis. Hiragana characters have rounder, more cursive strokes, while katakana characters are more angular and geometric. Both are learned together as the foundation of Japanese literacy.
What is the gojuon order and how is the kana chart organized?
The gojuon (literally "fifty sounds") is the traditional ordering system for Japanese kana. The chart is organized as a grid where each row represents a consonant group (k, s, t, n, h, m, y, r, w) and each column represents a vowel (a, i, u, e, o). The first row contains the five pure vowels. Reading left to right and top to bottom gives: a, i, u, e, o, ka, ki, ku, ke, ko, and so on. This ordering is used in Japanese dictionaries, phone books, and is essential knowledge for any Japanese learner.
What are dakuten and handakuten characters?
Dakuten (voiced marks, written as two small diagonal lines) and handakuten (semi-voiced marks, written as a small circle) are diacritical marks added to basic kana characters to create new sounds. Dakuten transforms unvoiced consonants into voiced ones: k becomes g, s becomes z, t becomes d, and h becomes b. For example, ka (か) becomes ga (が). Handakuten only applies to the h-row, transforming h into p: ha (は) becomes pa (ぱ). These modified characters add 25 additional sounds to the basic kana set.
What is the best way to memorize hiragana and katakana?
The most effective approach is to learn kana row by row in gojuon order, starting with the five vowels (a, i, u, e, o), then moving to the k-row, s-row, and so on. Practice writing each character by hand to build muscle memory. Use flashcards or spaced repetition apps for regular review. Associate characters with mnemonics based on their shapes. Learn hiragana first as it is used more frequently, then learn katakana. Most learners can memorize all basic kana within two to four weeks with consistent daily practice of 15 to 30 minutes.