Kanji are the logographic characters used in the modern Japanese writing system. They were adapted from Chinese characters and represent both meaning and sound. Each kanji can have multiple readings, depending on the context in which it is used, making them a complex but essential part of the language. In total, there are thousands of kanji, but the Japanese government has designated 2,136 characters as the official set for everyday use, known as the Jōyō kanji. Learning kanji is crucial for reading and writing in Japanese, as they are often combined with hiragana and katakana, the other two scripts in the language.