The table below lists the 25 stages (段: dan) of progress in the Kodansha Kanji Learner’s Course (KLC). To order physical badges (stickers) and a custom mounting sheet, click here.

The kanji badges represent the developmental state at each stage. For example, the first kanji 日 means “sun” or “day”, here symbolizing the dawn of the learning process. To check the precise meaning of each character, refer to the KLC entry number in the right column.

Selected readings are listed to facilitate referring to the stages in Japanese by their representative kanji (each reading is unique).  On-yomi (Chinese-derived readings) are shown in katakana, kun-yomi (native Japanese readings) in hiragana. The stages can also be referred to in Japanese as 1段 (いちだん), 2段 (にだん), etc.

Earn your first dan by completing the first fifty KLC entries. The stage prior to earning the first dan is classified in Japanese as 初級 (しょきゅう) (beginner).

Badge	Reading	Growth level	Stage / dan (段)	Badge source
	ひ	DAYBREAK	初級: 0	1
	セイ	NEWBORN	1 段: 50	36
	こ	LITTLE ONE	2 段: 100	94
	ソ	NATURAL	3 段: 200	132
	いずみ	SURFACING	4 段: 300	207
	カク	WAKING	5 段: 400	325
	キ	RISING	6 段: 500	430
	セツ	PREPARING	7 段: 600	520
	ホ	AFOOT	8 段: 700	679
	ケン	RESEARCHING	9 段: 800	724
	テン	DEVELOPING	10 段: 900	880
	わざ	SKILLED	11 段: 1000	966
	シキ	AWARE	12 段: 1100	1089
	たしか	SECURE	13 段: 1200	1133
	さかん	FLOURISHING	14 段: 1300	1300
	リュウ	EMINENT	15 段: 1400	1376
	ジュク	MATURE	16 段: 1500	1436
	アク	KANPREHENDER	17 段: 1600	1536
	コウ	KANJINAUT	18 段: 1700	1640
	テツ	KANJIOSOPHER	19 段: 1800	1703
	たくみ	KANJIUOSO	20 段: 1900	1802
	リョウ	KANSUL	21 段: 2000	1922
	カン	KANJISSEUR	22 段: 2100	2028
	ゲン	KANJEDI	23 段: 2200	2135
	にじ	SPECTRUM	24 段: 2300	2300

Paste your own kanji dan badges to give yourself
positive reinforcement as you learn kanji.