Publisher description: [This book] provides a new origin-based study of kanji for students and teachers of the Japanese language at all levels, including high school, college, and heritage language programs, that will free students from rote memorization of kanji. Understanding that modern kanji is a "skeleton" of ancient writings, this book has restored the substance of the direct connection between a form and its meaning, something that had been lost over the course of more than 2,000 years. Additionally, an etymological approach enables learners to apply a strategy to reading new, unfamiliar kanji, swiftly expanding their kanji vocabulary. As it stands, the kanji presented includes all 1006 official educational kanji plus 94 commonly used kanji (Joyo kanji), more than what's typically introduced throughout a course of study from beginning to advanced levels of Japanese.