The Joy o' Kanji Essays
This page provides a synopsis of all 530 kanji that have so far been featured by Joy o' Kanji. Each section provides the ability to purchase and download a kanji essay (), study flashcards for the essay content (), play entertaining study games (), or view the kanji's details on Kanshudo ().
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虹
rainbow
JOK: 2090
Learn how the Japanese speak about the colors of the rainbow, as well as double rainbows and "fogbows." Find out where in Japan you can see rainbows, both real and artificial. And come to understand how rainbows have colored Japanese culture, from music and religion to Rainbow Day celebrations and LGBT parades, not to mention all the organizations named for rainbows.
罵
abuse
JOK: 2092
You can speak polite Japanese, but to be fluent, one should also master verbal abuse! Learn to say, “He often calls her names,” “The company president abused me verbally,” “I can't forgive my mom's abuse,” “He instantly abuses somebody if he’s dissatisfied with something,” “I had never received a letter filled with so much abuse,” and “The audience jeered at the player's error.”
箸
chopsticks
JOK: 2094
Learn how chopsticks can rest and bathe—and what “pregnant chopsticks” signify. See how 箸 can serve as a stand-in for “eating.” If a human uses one end of chopsticks, find out who eats from the other end. Discover dozens of chopstick taboos, and see which ones remind people of funerals. Find out about the おてもと on chopstick wrappers, and learn why the Chinese dropped 箸.
氾
spread out
JOK: 2095
Learn to talk about literal floods, saying things like "This river sometimes overflows after the snow melts" and "The river flooded a wide area." Also find out about figurative floods (e.g., a flood of colors or a flood of desires), learning how to say "Our everyday language is flooded with Western words." Discover when the Japanese use 氾濫 versus 洪水, another word for "flood."
汎
pan-
JOK: 2096
Read about pantheism, nationalistic Japanese pan-Asianists, and the way 汎 connects to water. Learn how to say, “Pan-Islamism arose in reaction to Western European imperialism” and “Touchscreens became more versatile,” as well as this (re. the pan-African symbol): “The tricolor flag consists of red for the blood that has flowed, black for the skin, and green for the land.”
阪
slope
JOK: 2097
Enter the city of pleasure! This essay covers everything about Osaka, including its name, history, cuisine (e.g., Kansai sushi), castle, and entertainment industry, as well as the Osakan's colorful personality, conversational style, accent, and dialect. Learn about the "Osaka Metropolis Plan" that terrified some people, and find out about often-used terms such as "Keihan" and "Hanshin.'
斑
spot
JOK: 2098
This essay will make you dotty about all things spotted! With 斑 we can describe everything from polka-dotted species (including humans, with their birthmarks and freckles!) to rocks (e.g., those that the Japanese use in barbecues). The same character means "unevenness," and the essay shows how these disparate meanings connect. Great photos and fun quizzes!
眉
eyebrow
JOK: 2099
Find out why “white eyebrows” can mean “finest example.” Learn to use 眉 literally, as in “He arched his eyebrows in surprise” or “He showed his disapproval by raising an eyebrow.” Also discover figurative expressions such as “She felt relieved,” “My husband seemed to frown on my method,” “That story of his sounds very unlikely,” and “It’s urgent to restore Japanese-language education.”
膝
knee
JOK: 2100
See what a Buddhist priest and a mollusk have to do with kneecaps. Also learn what role the knee plays with regard to intimacy, romance, negotiations, protection, influence, respect, and sudden emotion or comprehension. Find out why the Japanese would go down on one or both knees, even sliding forward on the knees instead of walking, and why rakugo performers hide their knees.
肘
elbow
JOK: 2101
Learn how the Japanese talk about leaning on elbows, standing with arms akimbo, hitting the funny bone, and elbowing someone in the ribs. Find out about massaging the elbows versus massaging with the elbows. See what an "elbow gun" might be and what it means to pull someone's elbow figuratively. Also learn words for the elbows on dogs, clothes, and even buildings!
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