Lesson L5N2N2 Kanji in Context⏱ 25 min

Politics and Government Kanji

This lesson introduces key kanji such as 政, 治, 官, 庁, 法, 議, 選, 挙, and others relevant to politics, administration, and law. Each kanji is studied with its on'yomi/kun'yomi readings, common compounds, and contextual usage to build practical reading comprehension skills at the N2 level.

🎯 Goal: Learn N2 kanji related to politics and government in context.

Lesson Content

Learning Goal

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to read and understand 8 key N2 kanji related to politics and government. You will learn their meanings, common readings (on'yomi and kun'yomi), and how they appear in real-world vocabulary and sentences.

Concept

Politics and government kanji often appear in news, official documents, and formal discussions. These characters share themes of power, decision-making, law, and administration. Instead of memorizing them in isolation, you will learn them in small groups based on meaning and common compounds.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

Group 1: Power and Authority

政 (せい / まつりごと) – politics, government

On'yomi: せい (sei)
Kun'yomi: まつりごと (matsurigoto) – rare; mostly in compounds
Meaning: government, political rule
Common word: 政治 (せいじ) – politics
Example sentence:
- 日本の政治は民主主義です。
- Nihon no seiji wa minshu shugi desu.
- Japan's politics is democracy.

権 (けん / ごん) – authority, right

On'yomi: けん (ken), ごん (gon) – rare
Meaning: power, right, authority
Common word: 権利 (けんり) – right (as in human rights)
Example sentence:
- 投票する権利があります。
- Tōhyō suru keni ga arimasu.
- You have the right to vote.

Group 2: Law and Order

法 (ほう) – law, method

On'yomi: ほう (hō)
Meaning: law, rule, method
Common word: 法律 (ほうりつ) – law (as a system)
Example sentence:
- 法律を守らなければなりません。
- Hōritsu o mamoranakereba narimasen.
- We must obey the law.

制 (せい) – system, control

On'yomi: せい (sei)
Meaning: system, control, regulate
Common word: 制度 (せいど) – system (e.g., political system)
Example sentence:
- 新しい制度が始まりました。
- Atarashii seido ga hajimarimashita.
- A new system has started.

Group 3: Decision and Administration

決 (けつ / き.める) – decide, determine

On'yomi: けつ (ketsu)
Kun'yomi: き.める (kimeru) – to decide
Meaning: decide, resolution
Common word: 決定 (けってい) – decision
Example sentence:
- 会議で決定が出ました。
- Kaigi de kettei ga demashita.
- A decision was made at the meeting.

行 (こう / ぎょう / い.く) – go, carry out

On'yomi: こう (kō), ぎょう (gyō)
Kun'yomi: い.く (iku) – to go
Meaning: carry out, conduct, go
Common word: 行政 (ぎょうせい) – administration
Example sentence:
- 行政の仕事は複雑です。
- Gyōsei no shigoto wa fukuzatsu desu.
- Administrative work is complex.

Group 4: People and Groups

党 (とう) – party (political)

On'yomi: とう (tō)
Meaning: political party, faction
Common word: 政党 (せいとう) – political party
Example sentence:
- 新しい政党ができました。
- Atarashii seitō ga dekimashita.
- A new political party was formed.

民 (みん / たみ) – people, citizen

On'yomi: みん (min)
Kun'yomi: たみ (tami) – people (archaic)
Meaning: people, nation, citizen
Common word: 国民 (こくみん) – nation's people, citizens
Example sentence:
- 国民の意見を聞きます。
- Kokumin no iken o kikimasu.
- We listen to the people's opinions.

Mini Examples (in context)

Japanese	Romaji	English
政治の決定は重要です。	Seiji no kettei wa jūyō desu.	Political decisions are important.
法律を変える権利がある。	Hōritsu o kaeru keni ga aru.	There is a right to change the law.
行政の制度を改革する。	Gyōsei no seido o kaikaku suru.	Reform the administrative system.
政党の政策を国民に説明する。	Seitō no seisaku o kokumin ni setsumei suru.	Explain the party's policy to the people.

Common Mistake

❌ Mixing up 政 (sei) and 制 (sei)
Both read as せい (sei), but:

政 = politics, government (政治)
制 = system, control (制度)

✅ Tip: Remember 政 has the radical for "strike" (攵) – think of political action. 制 has the radical for "knife" (刂) – think of cutting/controlling a system.

Quick Practice

Fill in the blank with the correct kanji:
- 新しい___度 (seido) が始まった。
- Answer: 制 (制度)
Match the kanji to its meaning:
- 権 → ? (a) people (b) right (c) law
- Answer: (b) right
Read and translate:
- 国民の権利を守る。
- Romaji: Kokumin no keni o mamoru.
- English: Protect the people's rights.

Summary and Next Step

You have learned 8 essential N2 kanji for politics and government:

Kanji	Reading	Meaning
政	せい	politics
権	けん	right, authority
法	ほう	law
制	せい	system
決	けつ	decide
行	こう	carry out
党	とう	party
民	みん	people

Next step: Practice reading news headlines in Japanese (e.g., NHK Easy News) to see these kanji in real use. Then move on to kanji for economy and business (e.g., 経済, 金融, 市場).