Kanji Update

As of today, I know at least 70 Japanese Kanji characters (Japanese because there is sometimes some difference from Chinese Kanji or Chinese Kanji meanings), from the 71 Hiragana characters and 71 Katakana characters (excluding compound Hiragana and Katakana characters).  1,900+ to go!  Some words added on 10:46pm, same post date, are in this color (red).

One to ten: 一 二 三 四 五 六 七 八 九 十

One thousand, ten thousand, yen (currency): 千 万 円

A street/town, a block, a village, a ward, a city, a prefecture (equivalent to a Philippine province or a US county), capital: 町 丁目 村 区 市 県 京.

North, south, east, west: 北 南 東 西

So, Tokyo (east capital) is 東京. And Beijing (north capital) is 北京.

Up, down, stop, entrance, exit, gate, inside, middle/center/central: 上 下 止 入口 出口 門 内 中

口 means mouth, by the way. 心 is for heart, and 目 is actually for eye.

China (middle kingdom) would be 中国.  The Middle East would be 中東.

Year, month, day, minute: 年 月 日 分

Mountain, hill, a slightly smaller hill, river, tree, autumn, field, rice field: 山 丘 原 川 木 秋 野 田

月, 日 also mean moon and sun, respectively.  本 means main or book.  So Japan (land of the rising sun, where the sun mainly originates/rises, to the east) is 日本.  Downtown or central Atsugi where the main station, the nightlife, and where the city hall and other city offices are is 本厚木. 厚 means thick.

Other Kanji I know are:

大 big

大阪 Osaka (oh-saka)

学 school

大学 university

字 system of writing (i.e. Kanji = 漢字)

子 child

人 person

何 what

牛 cow

風 wind

車 car

行 express (as in express train)

新 new 

魚 fish
英語 English (language)

日本語 Japanese (language)

画 painting

工 technical (as used in the words for polytechnics or industrial arts, electricity, engineering) 

私 I

水 water

気 air

雨 rain

半 half
小 small
午 noon
前 before or in front of
午前 before noon; i.e. morning
回 rotate, or counter for occurrences

千葉 Chiba (a prefecture to the Northeast of Tokyo), where Narita (成田) airport is (yes, it's not in Tokyo)

新宿 Shinjuku (a ward in Tokyo) where one of the largest and busiest train stations of Japan is located in

韓国 South Korea

日曜日 Sunday
月曜日 Monday
火曜日 Tuesday, where 火 means fire
水曜日 Wednesday
木曜日 Thursday
金曜日 Friday where 金 means metal
土曜日 Saturday where 土 means soil

I am still trying to memorize/study these: 

都 ???  or 都学means high school?
憶 memory

回憶 to remember/recall/recollect

和 family?

億 100,000

And then the 71 Hiragana and 71 Katakana:

あいうえお かきくけこ がぎぐげご さしすせそ ざじずぜぞ たちつてと だぢづでど はひふへほ ばびぶべぼ ぱぴぷぺぽ らりるれろ なにぬねの まみむめも や　ゆ　よ わ　　　を ん

アイウエオ カキクケコ ガギグゲゴ サシスセソ ザジズゼゾ タチツテト ダヂヅデド ハヒフヘホ バビブベボ パピプペポ ラリルレロ ナニヌネノ マミムメモ ヤ　ユ　ヨ ワ　　　ヲ ン

a  i   u  e  o ka ki ku ke ko da di du de do sa shi su se so za ji zu ze zo ta chi tsu te to da di du de do ha hi fu he ho ba bi bu be bo pa pi pu pe po ra ri ru re ro na ni nu ne no ma mi mu me mo ya    yu    yo wa          wo n

And then there's Akino Ronji: 秋野 論慈 or 論璽.  Where means 秋野 autumn field, 論 means discussion or argument or theory, 慈 means relationship between parent and child, and means 璽 stamp of approval by a king.  The 秋野 part is actually used as a Japanese surname.  For the given name, I think I like 論慈 better, though both choices aren't used as names in Japan.  In Chinese, the sound "Ronji" would mean "honor, very good."  :-D