Kanji are the logographic characters used in the modern Japanese writing system. They were adapted from Chinese characters and represent words or concepts rather than sounds. Each kanji has its own meaning and can have multiple pronunciations depending on the context in which it is used. In total, there are thousands of kanji, but the Japanese government has designated 2,136 as the official Jōyō kanji for everyday use. Learning kanji is essential for reading and writing in Japanese, as they are often combined with hiragana and katakana, the other two scripts in the language.