original_query: What is the purpose of the simplified forms of kanji?
query: What is the purpose of the simplified forms of kanji?
answer: The purpose of simplified kanji forms was to standardize Japanese writing and make it easier to use, as many characters were simplified from their original forms when the 1,850 character-long tōyō kanji list was produced in 1949.  Further simplifications were included in the 1981 jōyō kanji list.