Learn in the textbookBasic Charts and Visualizing Distributions
DefinitionA bar chart (棒グラフ) turns amounts into bar lengths so that items can be compared with each other.
ExplanationFor sales by store or case counts by year, you draw one bar per item or point in time, with its length matching the value. Differences in value show up as differences in length, so you can see at a glance which is larger or smaller. Bars sorted from the largest count down and overlaid with a line showing the cumulative share form a Pareto chart.
AnalogyIt is like lining children up side by side to compare heights: you can tell straight away who is tallest.