noun
native Japanese characters; kana
Refers to hiragana and katakana as a set, often contrasted with kanji (漢字). Used in discussions of writing systems.
和字は漢字と違って、音を表す文字です。
Unlike kanji, kana are characters that represent sounds.
noun
Japanese-made kanji; kokuji
Kanji created in Japan, not imported from China. Often called 国字 (kokuji) in modern terminology. This term is less common than 国字.
See also: 国字
「峠」や「畑」は和字の例です。
Characters like 峠 and 畑 are examples of Japanese-made kanji.
和 (wa, 'Japan') + 字 (ji, 'character'). The term historically referred to kana as Japan's own script, and later also to kanji created in Japan.