東 — east

Grade 2とう, ひがし

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

東 (readings: とう, ひがし; Japanese kanji) means “east”. 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 とう or ひがし depending on the word.

Words with 東

東京とうきょうTokyo
東京都とうきょうとthủ đô Tokyo
東京都内とうきょうとないnội thành Tokyo

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Updated: 2026-08-09