稿 — “Draft / Copy / Manuscript / Straw” in Japanese

Master (高手)こう, わら, したがき

Radical ⽲ · radical 115 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Draft / Copy / Manuscript / Straw” in Japanese is 稿, read kou, wara, shitagaki (こう, わら, したがき). It is a Jōyō kanji taught in Japanese secondary school (junior & senior high) — the 高手 · Master tier beyond the grade 1–6 Kyōiku set, and appears in words such as 原稿 (manuscript).

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What does 稿 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	稿
Meaning	Draft / Copy / Manuscript / Straw
Readings	こう, わら, したがき
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	原稿 (manuscript)

How to read 稿

稿 is read kou (こう) or wara (わら) or shitagaki (したがき) depending on the word.

Words with 稿

原稿

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Kanji read the same way as 稿

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

Updated: 2026-08-28