Joyo

Joyo is a Japanese term meaning "common use" or "for everyday use." In linguistic and educational contexts, it refers most prominently to the Jōyō Kanji List, an official inventory of Chinese characters designated by the Japanese government for regular use in reading and writing.

The Jōyō Kanji List (常用漢字表) was established by the Ministry of Education to define which kanji should be taught during compulsory schooling and used in everyday life. The initial list was introduced in 1981 with 1,945 characters. A major revision in 2010 expanded the list to 2,136 characters, reflecting changes in literacy needs and literature. The list guides education, standardized testing, government forms, and digital encoding, and it does not restrict the use of other kanji in personal or specialized writing.

A related category is jinmeiyō kanji, a supplementary set of characters permitted specifically for use in personal names. Many characters outside the Jōyō List are included in this separate roster to accommodate diverse naming conventions.

In addition to its linguistic usage, Joyo can appear in various proper nouns or cultural references in Japan. The term is generally understood within the context of Japanese orthography and language policy.