Unicode Block - Kanbun

Kanbun is a set of small annotation marks used in traditional Japanese printing to indicate the reading order of classical Chinese texts, particularly when those texts are rendered with Japanese syntax in mind. These marks, which resemble curved brackets, hooks, and small numerals, are placed beside or between Chinese characters to show how the original word order should be rearranged into Japanese, a system known as kundoku. The characters in this set include the four primary kaeriten symbols (used for simple inversion) as well as additional marks for more complex reordering patterns, though the set is limited and does not cover all possible combinations found in scholarly editions. As a result, it serves a narrow but essential role for scholars and typesetters working with premodern Chinese literature in a Japanese context.