東 — “east” in Japanese

Grade 2とう, ひがし

Radical ⽊ · radical 75 The building block this kanji is filed under

“east” in Japanese is 東, read tou, higashi (とう, ひがし). It is a Grade 2 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 2 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 東京 (Tokyo).

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What does 東 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	東
Meaning	east
Readings	とう, ひがし
Grade	Grade 2 (Easy)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	東京 (Tokyo)

How to read 東

東 is read tou (とう) or higashi (ひがし) depending on the word.

Words with 東

東京とうきょう
東京都とうきょうと
東京都内とうきょうとない

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Kanji read the same way as 東

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

Read this character in a real sentence

Updated: 2026-08-28