noun
old-style kanji; traditional kanji forms
Refers to kanji forms used before the post-war simplifications, such as 舊 for 旧 or 體 for 体. Often encountered in historical texts, names, or formal contexts.
この本は旧漢字で書かれているので、読みにくい。
This book is written in old-style kanji, so it's hard to read.
旧漢字と新漢字の対応表を調べる。
I look up a conversion table between old and new kanji forms.
旧字体 is a near-synonym also meaning old character forms, but 旧漢字 more explicitly contrasts with 新漢字.
Compound of 旧 (old) and 漢字 (kanji). The term became common after the Japanese script reforms of the mid-20th century.