This site will be taken down March 31st, 2026.

This was not an easy decision to make. For the last couple years, I have been struggling to find motivation for this site and to keep up with basic maintenance and security updates. With the rise of AI and more sophisticated tools, the usefulness of sites like this is questionable and traffic has nose-dived. I just don't have it in me to keep doing this. Thank you all for 10 years of support!

Zach

Readings

Kana: ハ、ベ、ワ
Romaji: ha, be, wa
Kana
Romaji

Meaning

lute

Stroke Diagram

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Kanji Info

Stroke Count:  12
Radical Number:  96
Frequency:  1966
Grade:  9
Skip Pattern:  2-8-4
Korean Reading:  pa
Chinese Reading:  ba5
Unicode:  7436
JIS:  474A

Indexes

Nelson Index: 2945
New Nelson Index: 3649
Spahn Hadamitzky Index: 4f8.9
Four Corner Index: 1171.7
Daikanwanjiten Index: 21081
Daikanwanjiten Index and Page: 7.0942
Remembering the kanji Index: 2913
2013 Kanji Learners Index: 2421
Remembering the Kanji 6th Index: 2922
Kodansha Kanji Index: 3454

Words

琵琶湖 (びわこ)
Lake Biwa
琵琶行 (びわこう)
biwa song
薩摩琵琶 (さつまびわ)
Satsuma biwa (or its music)
琵琶鱒 (びわます、ビワマス)
biwa trout (Oncorhynchus masou rhodurus); biwa salmon
平家琵琶 (へいけびわ)
chanting of the Heike Monogatari to biwa accompaniment
琵琶 (びわ)
biwa (Japanese lute)
琵琶笛 (びやぼん)
Edo-period mouth harp (with a hairpin-like frame and a long straight tongue)
琵琶湖大鯰 (びわこおおなまず、ビワコオオナマズ)
Lake Biwa catfish (Silurus biwaensis)
琵琶鰉 (びわひがい、ビワヒガイ)
Biwa oily gudgeon (Sarcocheilichthys variegatus microoculus)
琵琶の琴 (びわのこと)
biwa (4 or 5-stringed Oriental lute)
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