<p>While most Kanji maintain the same meaning from their Chinese Hanzi counterparts, some Kanji have been given different meanings after the post-world war 2 simplification of Kanji</p>

<p>More here:
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanji#Local_developments_and_divergences_from_Chinese" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanji#Local_developments_and_divergences_from_Chinese</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-14T19:53:53.740Z
There's also more information here too: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinjitai
Claw
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-14T17:32:11.863Z
2014-03-14T17:32:11.863Z
A O
<p>It's true to state that "traditional chinese characters are more similar to Japanese Kanji than simplified chinese." </p>

<p>In more example, you are going to find Japanese Kanji and traditional chinese characters are identical due to the fact that Japanese adopted Chinese Characters much earlier. 
Chinese character simplification only started in 1956 (quite recent in comparison).</p>

<p>Japanese has also gone through a simplification process called "Shinjitai." And during the Japanese simplification, some characters went from identical to Traditional Chinese to identical to simplified Chinese. For example, 體   →体(tai). Please refer to this page for more example, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinjitai" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinjitai</a>. So only after this, some Kanji resemble the simplified Chinese characters.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-14T22:39:15.093Z
Are the Shinjtai kanji used today in Japan (just like simplified Chinese characters are used in China)? Or do Japanese people prefer the "classical" non-simplified kanji?
Mr.C64
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-21T20:02:45.587Z
Shinjitai are used the same way simplified characters are
HAL
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-14T20:50:13.490Z
2014-03-14T21:13:04.743Z
2014-03-14T21:13:04.743Z
Angela P
<p>I noted that the simplified Chinese character for &quot;doctor/medicine&quot; 医 <a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%8C%BB" rel="nofollow noreferrer">has the same aspect</a> of the Japanese kanji for &quot;doctor/medicine&quot;. So, in this case, <strong>the Japanese kanji and the simplified Chinese character are the same</strong>.
Instead, the traditional Chinese character seems more different: 醫</p>
<p>It seems also that the simplified Chinese character for &quot;turtle&quot; 龟 is very similar to the corresponding Japanese kanji 亀 (the kanji seems to just have one more smaller rectangle piece in the upper part). Instead, the traditional Chinese character is much more different: 龜</p>
<p>So, I wonder: is this a common pattern? i.e. Are simplified Chinese characters more similar to Japanese kanji than traditional Chinese characters?</p>
<p>(I've read somewhere that the <em>traditional</em> Chinese characters are more similar to Japanese kanji, but at least in these two cases, it doesn't seem the case.)</p>

<traditional-vs-simplified><characters>
Simplified/Traditional Chinese characters commonalities with Japanese Kanji
# Simplified/Traditional Chinese characters commonalities with Japanese Kanji

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-03-14)

I noted that the simplified Chinese character for "doctor/medicine" 医 [has the same aspect](http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%8C%BB) of the Japanese kanji for "doctor/medicine". So, in this case, **the Japanese kanji and the simplified Chinese character are the same**.
Instead, the traditional Chinese character seems more different: 醫

It seems also that the simplified Chinese character for "turtle" 龟 is very similar to the corresponding Japanese kanji 亀 (the kanji seems to just have one more smaller rectangle piece in the upper part). Instead, the traditional Chinese character is much more different: 龜

So, I wonder: is this a common pattern? i.e. Are simplified Chinese characters more similar to Japanese kanji than traditional Chinese characters?

(I've read somewhere that the *traditional* Chinese characters are more similar to Japanese kanji, but at least in these two cases, it doesn't seem the case.)

**Tags:** traditional-vs-simplified, characters


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2014-03-14. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

It's true to state that "traditional chinese characters are more similar to Japanese Kanji than simplified chinese."

In more example, you are going to find Japanese Kanji and traditional chinese characters are identical due to the fact that Japanese adopted Chinese Characters much earlier.
Chinese character simplification only started in 1956 (quite recent in comparison).

Japanese has also gone through a simplification process called "Shinjitai." And during the Japanese simplification, some characters went from identical to Traditional Chinese to identical to simplified Chinese. For example, 體 →体(tai). Please refer to this page for more example, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinjitai>. So only after this, some Kanji resemble the simplified Chinese characters.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Are the Shinjtai kanji used today in Japan (just like simplified Chinese characters are used in China)? Or do Japanese people prefer the "classical" non-simplified kanji?  
> **username_4**: Shinjitai are used the same way simplified characters are  

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### Answer by username_1 on 2014-03-14. Score: 1

While most Kanji maintain the same meaning from their Chinese Hanzi counterparts, some Kanji have been given different meanings after the post-world war 2 simplification of Kanji

More here:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanji#Local_developments_and_divergences_from_Chinese>

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: There's also more information here too: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinjitai  

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