郊 — “Outskirts / Suburbs / Rural Area” in Japanese

Master (高手)こう

Radical ⾢ · radical 163 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Outskirts / Suburbs / Rural Area” in Japanese is 郊, read kou (こう). 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 郊外 (suburbs).

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What does 郊 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	郊
Meaning	Outskirts / Suburbs / Rural Area
Readings	こう
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	郊外 (suburbs)

How to read 郊

郊 is read kou (こう) depending on the word.

Words with 郊

郊外

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Kanji read the same way as 郊

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

Updated: 2026-08-28