New Joyo kanji!

Lantis

As if 1945 isn't ridiculous enough as it is...

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/national/news/20080513-OYT1T00082.htm

At a meeting today, the Cultural Commission of MEXT outlined plans to add an estimated 220 kanji to the Joyo kanji.

The Commission are continuing to narrow down their list of possible additions, however, they have earmarked 42 kanji that are commonly used in books and newspapers as likely candidates for the addition. They plan to make a decision by this summer regarding the kanji to be added, then officially launch the New Joyo Kanji in 2010.

The meeting examined the top 4000 kanji in common usage in books and newspapers. By removing the present Joyo kanji, along with kanji used primarily for names, they were left with a list of 220 characters for potential addition to the Joyo kanji.

Of these 220, the 42 kanji that appear in the top 1500 are slated for almost definite addition to the Joyo list. However, one of these kanji, 俺 (ore), has raised opposing arguments, stating that it is not a kanji used in formal contexts. Thus, this kanji remains in limbo until a decision is made.

There are currently 1945 kanji in the Joyo list. The Commission has planned that 6 kanji (銑, 錘, 勺, 斤, 匁, 脹) will be removed from this list, as they are no longer frequently used.


The 42 kanji on the "likely list" include:

藤、誰、俺、岡、阪、奈、鹿、熊、頃、韓、弥、斬、虎、狙、脇、尻、叩、闇、籠、呂、亀、頬、膝、鶴、匂、嘘、須、噂、濡、笠、嬉、股、眉、朋、覗、鎌、凄、撫、溜、謎、稽、曾

Dont be at yourself

Yay, 岡 is on the list! A kanji I learnt by osmosis due to living in Okayama!

I'm also a little surprised that the likes of 誰, 呂 and 亀 werent already included. They're fairly common kanji, and I've definitely been more exposed to them than some obscure ones already included.