軍 means “army, military”

ぐん · gun

Also: force, troops, war

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

いくさ

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

グン

Taught in grade 4 · 9 strokes

The story

A chariot (車) crowned with a commander's canopy: ancient armies moved as one behind their war chariots. Japan's samurai 軍 shaped centuries of history, from the Genpei War to the peaceful Self-Defense Forces of today.

Used in 軍隊 (guntai, military forces) and 将軍 (shougun, general/shogun)

More from Society & Government

• 公 public
• 私 private
• 世 world
• 界 world
• 国 country
• 王 king
• 法 law
• 政 politics
• 民 people
• 族 tribe
• 都 capital
• 市 city

Learn 軍 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.