| 説明 | せつめい | explanation; exposition; description; account | n4 |
| 明るい | あかるい | light; bright; well-lit; well-lighted | n5 |
| 明治 | めいじ | Meiji era (1868.9.8-1912.7.30) | n2 |
| 明日 | あした | tomorrow; near future | n5 |
| 明 | みょう | vidya (wisdom); mantra; the coming (July 4, etc.) | |
| 明ける | あける | to open (a door, etc.); to unwrap (e.g. parcel, package); to unlock; to open (for business, etc.) | n3 |
| 明らか | あきらか | clear; obvious; evident; plain | n2 |
| 不明 | ふめい | unclear; obscure; indistinct; uncertain | n2 |
| 証明 | しょうめい | proof; testimony; demonstration; verification | n3 |
| 文明 | ぶんめい | civilization; civilisation; culture; Bunmei era (1469.4.28-1487.7.20) | n1 |
| 明瞭 | めいりょう | clear; plain; distinct; obvious | n2 |
| 明く | あく | to open (e.g. doors); to open (e.g. business, etc.); to be empty; to be vacant | n4 |
| 発明 | はつめい | invention; intelligent; clever; smart | n2 |
| 明い | あかるい | light; bright; well-lit; well-lighted | n5 |
| 明り | あかり | light; glow; gleam; (a) light | n3 |
| 明確 | めいかく | clear; precise; definite; distinct | n2 |
| 明白 | めいはく | obvious; clear; plain; evident | n1 |
| 明かす | あかす | to pass (the night); to spend; to reveal; to divulge | |
| 夜明け | よあけ | dawn; daybreak | |
| 透明 | とうめい | transparent; clear | n2 |
| 聡明 | そうめい | wise; sagacious; intelligent; sensible | |
| 聰明 | そうめい | wise; sagacious; intelligent; sensible | |
| 打ち明ける | うちあける | to confide; to reveal; to disclose; to lay bare | n2 |
| 光明 | こうみょう | bright light; hope; bright future; light emanating from a buddha or bodhisattva, symbolizing their wisdom and compassion | n1 |
| 明け | あけ | dawn; daybreak; end; soon after something has ended | |
| 判明 | はんめい | becoming clear; coming to light; being ascertained; being identified | n1 |
| 打明ける | うちあける | to confide; to reveal; to disclose; to lay bare | n2 |
| 賢明 | けんめい | wise; sensible; well-advised; intelligent | n1 |
| 明後日 | あさって | day after tomorrow; wrong (e.g. direction) | n3 |
| 明朝 | みょうちょう | tomorrow morning | |
| 鮮明 | せんめい | vivid; clear; distinct | n2 |
| 明神 | あきつかみ | emperor; living god | |
| 明るみ | あかるみ | bright place; the light; the open; light of day | n1 |
| 明け方 | あけがた | dawn; daybreak | |
| 照明 | しょうめい | illumination; lighting | n2 |
| 灯明 | とうみょう | light offered to a god or Buddha; votive light | |
| 燈明 | とうみょう | light offered to a god or Buddha; votive light | |
| 分明 | ふんみょう | clearness; clear understanding | n1 |
| 明快 | めいかい | clear; clear-cut; lucid; unequivocal | n1 |
| 未明 | みめい | early dawn; grey of morning; gray of morning | |
| 松明 | たいまつ | torch (made of pine, bamboo, reed, etc.); flambeau; torchlight | |
| 弁明 | べんめい | explanation; excuse; clarification; vindication | |
| 辨明 | べんめい | explanation; excuse; clarification; vindication | |
| 辯明 | べんめい | explanation; excuse; clarification; vindication | |
| 明星 | みょうじょう | morning star; Venus; preeminent person (within their own field); star (of the stage, silver screen, etc.) | |
| 黎明 | れいめい | daybreak; dawn; gray of the morning (grey); dawn (of a new age) | |
| 明暗 | めいあん | light and darkness; light and shade | n1 |
| 表明 | ひょうめい | declaration; indication; representation; manifestation | n2 |
| 明記 | めいき | clear writing; specification | n1 |
| 解明 | かいめい | elucidation; explication; explaining; unravelling | n1 |
| 明滅 | めいめつ | flickering; blinking | |
| 明晰 | めいせき | clear; distinct | |
| 明朗 | めいろう | cheerful; bright; clear; clean | |
| 明言 | めいげん | declaration; statement | |
| 明くる日 | あくるひ | next day; following day | |
| 有明 | ありあけ | dawn (esp. from the 16th day of the lunar month onward); portable paper lantern for walking at night | |
| 声明 | せいめい | declaration; statement; proclamation | n2 |
| 明智 | めいち | sagacity; wisdom; intelligence | |
| 聲明 | しょうみょう | sabdavidya (ancient Indian linguistic and grammatical studies); chanting of Buddhist hymns (usu. in Sanskrit or Chinese) | |
| 明方 | あけがた | dawn; daybreak | |
| 明治維新 | めいじいしん | Meiji Restoration (1868) | |
| 明示 | めいじ | elucidation; explicit statement; specification | n1 |
| 天明 | てんめい | dawn; daybreak; Tenmei era (1781.4.2-1789.1.25) | |
| 明察 | めいさつ | discernment; penetration; keen insight; acumen | |
| 神明 | しんめい | deity; god; Amaterasu (as an enshrined deity) | |
| 克明 | こくめい | detailed; scrupulous; careful; minute | n1 |
| 夜明 | よあけ | dawn; daybreak | |
| 薄明 | はくめい | twilight; dusk; faint light | |
| 明月 | めいげつ | harvest moon (trad. 15th day of the 8th lunar month); bright moon; full moon | |
| 月明 | げつめい | moonlight | |
| 不明瞭 | ふめいりょう | unclear; indistinct; obscure; opaque | |
| 言明 | げんめい | declaration; statement; assertion | |
| 簡明 | かんめい | terse; concise; simple and clear | n1 |
| 自明 | じめい | self-evident; obvious; axiomatic; self-explanatory | |
| 究明 | きゅうめい | investigation (esp. in academic and scientific contexts); finding out the facts; bringing (a matter) to light; inquiring into | n1 |
| 説明会 | せつめいかい | information session; briefing; explanatory meeting | |
| 明け放す | あけはなす | to open wide (doors or windows); to throw open; to fling open; to leave open | |
| 文明開化 | ぶんめいかいか | civilization and enlightenment; Japan's Westernization movement during the Meiji era (Westernisation) | |
| 明かり | あかり | light; glow; gleam; (a) light | n3 |
| 闡明 | せんめい | clarification; elucidation; explanation | n2 |
| 明敏 | めいびん | intelligence; discernment | |
| 大明神 | だいみょうじん | deity with extraordinary spiritual powers | |
| 公明正大 | こうめいせいだい | fair; just and upright; open and honest; aboveboard | |
| 明け暮れ | あけくれ | morning and evening; daily routine; to spend all one's time doing; to do day in, day out | |
| 明和 | めいわ | Meiwa era (1764.6.2-1772.11.16) | |
| 証明書 | しょうめいしょ | certificate; credentials; testimonial | |
| 星明り | ほしあかり | starlight | |
| 平明 | へいめい | clear; simple | |
| 不透明 | ふとうめい | opaque; obscure; murky; turbid | n1 |
| 釈明 | しゃくめい | explanation; vindication | n1 |
| 明るむ | あかるむ | to brighten; to grow light | |
| 明細 | めいさい | details; particulars; specifics; detailed | |
| 明けがた | あけがた | dawn; daybreak | |
| 無明 | むみょう | avidya (ignorance) | |
| 清明 | せいめい | pure and clear; "clear and bright" solar term (approx. April 5) | n2 |
| 失明 | しつめい | loss of eyesight; loss of sight; going blind; blindness | |
| 明晩 | みょうばん | tomorrow evening | |
| 説明書 | せつめいしょ | (printed) instructions; manual; explanatory leaflet (pamphlet, note); description | |
| 明治天皇 | めいじてんのう | Emperor Meiji (1852-1912, reigned 1867-1912); Emperor Mutsuhito | |
| 明き | あき | space; room; gap; emptiness | n5 |