A panel of the Council for Cultural Affairs is working to revise the official list of Chinese characters in common use (joyo kanji). The final proposal is expected in February. The revision should draw the attention of not only Japanese but also foreigners interested in Japanese culture.
The current joyo kanji list contains 1,945 characters. The kanji panel plans to add 186 characters, including "kan" of "kankoku" (Korea) and "satsu" of "kosatsu" (ancient temple). But "mou" of "mouko" (Mongolia) is one of six kanji to be dropped, since "mou" is hardly used anywhere except in the combination for Mongolia.
The kanji for "go up a stream, or go back to the origin" will also be added. Since the "road" radical of this kanji has two strokes on top, unlike the usual "road" radical, the council may face difficulty in deciding on an acceptable form.