Categorizing kanji variants - is there a "proper" form?


Here are kanji variants:

  * 海 (as an image: ![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/ThNhn.png))
  * 海

In case it does not display correctly for you, [the first _kanji_ is unicode
U+FA45.](http://glyphwiki.org/wiki/ufa45)

Is `海` considered a variant of the much more common `海`? Or, are `海` and `海`
just considered mutual variants of each other?

More broadly, do you say that the most frequently used version of a _kanji_
with a variant is "the" kanji? And that the kanji that is much less frequently
used is the variant?

Also: What about rare cases such as `才` and `歳`, both of which are very
frequently used?




The Japanese Ministry of Education has published a list of kanji. I think this
is the official document:
<http://www.bunka.go.jp/kokugo_nihongo/pdf/jouyoukanjihyou_h22.pdf>

The "proper" form is whatever form is in that document. So the answer is
basically that the government determines the "proper" form.




The Japanese Ministry of Education has published a list of kanji. I think this
is the official document:
<http://www.bunka.go.jp/kokugo_nihongo/pdf/jouyoukanjihyou_h22.pdf>

The "proper" form is whatever form is in that document. So the answer is
basically that the government determines the "proper" form.

