作つくり字じ

noun

made-up kanji; invented Chinese character

Refers to a kanji that someone has created on their own, not part of the standard set. Often used in contexts like puzzles, art, or personal marks.

• 彼かれは自じ分ぶんの名な前まえを表あらわす作つくり字じを考かんがえ出だした。

  He came up with a made-up kanji to represent his own name.

noun

forming a character with people or objects

Describes the act of arranging people or things to create the shape of a kanji or other character, often for performances or group photos. Compare with 人文字.

See also: 人文字

• 運うん動どう会かいで生せい徒とたちが作つくり字じで校こう章しょうを表ひょう現げんした。

  At the sports day, the students formed the school emblem by arranging themselves into a character.

noun

Japanese-made kanji; kokuji

Archaic term for kanji created in Japan, now usually called 国字. Rarely used in modern Japanese.

See also: 国字

• 「峠とうげ」や「辻つじ」は、もともと作つくり字じと呼よばれた国こく字じの例れいだ。

  Characters like 峠 and 辻 are examples of kokuji that were once called 作り字.