Kanji Index Maintenance

The kanji index allows users to click on any kanji in a dictionary headword to find all other entries containing that same kanji.

How It Works

1. Headword kanji are linked to kanji index pages
2. Kanji index pages list all entries containing that kanji
3. Entry lists are sorted by reading (hiragana order)

Directory Structure

kanji/
├── kanji_list.json       # Master list: kanji → kanji_id mapping
├── kanji_extracted.json  # Temporary: extracted kanji needing IDs
├── 00001_jin_hito_person.json  # Entry list for 人
├── 00002_nichi_hi_day.json     # Entry list for 日
└── ...

docs/kanji/
├── 00001_jin_hito_person.html  # HTML page for 人
├── 00002_nichi_hi_day.html     # HTML page for 日
└── ...

Kanji ID Format

Format: {5-digit}_{onyomi}_{kunyomi}_{gloss}

• 5-digit: Sequential number (00001, 00002, ...)
• onyomi: Most common on'yomi in romaji (or "none")
• kunyomi: Most common kun'yomi in romaji without okurigana (or "none")
• gloss: Single English word for primary meaning

Examples

Romaji Rules

• Long vowels: "ou" not "ō" (e.g., 高 → "kou")
• Voiced: "ga", "za", "da", "ba" (e.g., 学 → "gaku")
• No okurigana in kun'yomi (e.g., 高い → "taka", not "takai")

Assigning New Kanji IDs

When new entries introduce kanji not in kanji_list.json:

1. Detect new kanji:

   bash
   1python3 build/update_kanji_index.py --check-new

2. Assign readings and gloss using your knowledge:

   • Most common on'yomi
   • Most common kun'yomi (without okurigana)
   • Single-word English gloss

3. Update kanji_list.json:

   json
   1{
   2  "新": {
   3    "kanji_id": "00123_shin_atara_new",
   4    "onyomi": "shin",
   5    "kunyomi": "atara",
   6    "gloss": "new"
   7  }
   8}

4. Rebuild:

   bash
   1python3 build/build_flat.py

Common Tasks

Check for New Kanji

bash
1python3 build/update_kanji_index.py --check-new

Rebuild All Kanji JSON Files

bash
1python3 build/update_kanji_index.py --rebuild-all

Rebuild Kanji HTML Pages

bash
1python3 build/build_kanji_html.py

Full Site Build (includes kanji)

bash
1python3 build/build_flat.py

Troubleshooting

"Warning: X kanji need IDs assigned"

New kanji were found in entries. Assign IDs manually:

1. Run --check-new to see the full list
2. For each kanji, determine on'yomi, kun'yomi, gloss
3. Add to kanji/kanji_list.json
4. Rebuild

Missing kanji index page

Check that:

1. Kanji is in kanji/kanji_list.json
2. JSON file exists: kanji/{kanji_id}.json
3. Run python3 build/build_kanji_html.py

Kanji link not appearing in headword

Check that:

1. Kanji is in kanji/kanji_list.json
2. Entry HTML was rebuilt after kanji was added

Entry count wrong on kanji page

Rebuild the kanji JSON file:

bash
1python3 build/update_kanji_index.py --rebuild-all
2python3 build/build_kanji_html.py

File Formats

kanji_list.json

json
1{
2  "metadata": {
3    "description": "Index mapping kanji characters to their kanji index IDs",
4    "generated": "2026-01-22T10:30:00Z",
5    "total_kanji": 1500
6  },
7  "kanji": {
8    "人": {
9      "kanji_id": "00001_jin_hito_person",
10      "onyomi": "jin",
11      "kunyomi": "hito",
12      "gloss": "person"
13    }
14  }
15}

Individual kanji JSON

json
1{
2  "metadata": {
3    "kanji": "人",
4    "kanji_id": "00001_jin_hito_person",
5    "onyomi": "jin",
6    "kunyomi": "hito",
7    "gloss": "person",
8    "entry_count": 245,
9    "generated": "2026-01-22T10:30:00Z"
10  },
11  "entries": [
12    {
13      "id": "01234_akunin",
14      "headword": "{悪|あく}{人|にん}",
15      "reading": "あくにん",
16      "gloss": "villain, bad person"
17    }
18  ]
19}

Design Decisions

Why invisible links?

• Preserves clean headword appearance
• Users discover feature through tooltip
• No visual clutter

Why romaji in kanji IDs?

• ASCII-safe file names
• Human-readable
• Easy to search and sort

Why sort by reading?

• Natural Japanese ordering (gojuon)
• Consistent with how dictionaries organize entries
• Helps users find related words