The Joy o' Kanji Essays

俺

Some sources call 俺 rough, arrogant, vulgar, and disagreeable. Others say it is informal and intimate. It conveys manliness, which could imply control over emotions, but it is also the pronoun men use when they lose their cool. All these contradictory statements are true! The mere idea of adding 俺 to the Joyo list provoked a bitter battle. Find out how and why men use this charged word.

苛

With just one kanji, you can say all of the following: “I get annoyed when I am kept waiting,” “His incompetence began to irritate everyone,” “Even the smallest thing irritated him,” “He committed suicide because he was bullied,” and “He was tormented by a sense of guilt.” Also find out how 苛 connects to prickly plants, how to talk about training hard, and how tyranny can seem brilliant.

牙

Tusks and fangs may seem unrelated to our lives, but without elephant tusks, we wouldn't have ivory carvings, the color ivory white, a country named Ivory Coast, or the horrible song "Ebony and Ivory." Most of that is also true in Japanese, because 牙 appears in all those terms (excluding the song title). In fact, the Japanese rely on 牙 to an even greater extent; they also use it in expressions about showing hostility, preparing for a fight, and acting in evil ways. On top of that, 牙 is a radical in three Joyo kanji, and it's part of the Shin-Joyo set (the group of characters added to the Joyo set in 2010).

瓦

Architecture buffs: don't miss this one! As the fantastic photos show, old Japanese buildings often feature striking roofs with alternating ridges and valleys of semi-cylindrical tiles, as well as elaborate decorative caps and unusual rooftop figurines. By studying 瓦 (a new Joyo kanji), you'll learn to talk about all this and so much more! You'll find out about the unexpected glamor of bricks in the Meiji era, 瓦 in words about metaphorical collapses, and this shape as a radical in several fascinating kanji.

葛

Learn about a vine that has enhanced Japanese life. People use its root to thicken dishes, particularly desserts that turn out to be healthy, and to help cure fevers, hangovers, colds, and more. The fiber of the 葛 vine goes into fusuma screens and scrolls, and a word including 葛 plays a role in a famous folktale. There’s much more to tell you, but doing so would give away three quiz answers!

崖

Do you know what it means figuratively when the Japanese refer to being on a cliff's edge? Can you say that a car went off a cliff or that a cliff is vertical? Can you refer to a landslide with a compound containing 崖? Do you know where to find giant Buddhas carved from rock faces? Do you know which cliffs are famous in Japan and why? If you read the essay, you'll soon know all this!

蓋

Learn which body parts have lids! See why "to open a lid" figuratively means "to see how things turn out." Learn to say, "I’m looking for a trash can with a lid," "Please lower the lid gently," and "reinforced glass lid." Back on the figurative side, find out how to say, "Tanaka's remarks started an argument," "You don't beat around the bush!" and "There is a suitable spouse for everyone."

骸

Read about corpses described as careless and taciturn, as well as those that go dancing. Find out how wrecked vehicles and ruins of buildings are figurative corpses. Learn to say, “He identified the wreck of the Titanic,” “He looks like a skeleton,” “She cried at the sight of her father's dead body,” and “It took a few hours to clear the mess from the wreck of the truck and several cars.”

鎌

You may not need to talk about sickles, but knowing 鎌 helps you discuss crescent-shaped things; the “hammer and sickle” flag; sickle-wielding weasels; certain weapons; and Kamakura, a city where armies once battled for control of Japan. Kamakura is also associated with a giant Buddha, pigeon-shaped cookies, a painful part of canine history, and a word for “emergency.”

玩

Find out about traditional Japanese toys (e.g., limbless kokeshi and wheeled pigeons) and see how they vary regionally. Learn to talk about fiddling with hair, playing with dolls, and keeping pets. Then lose your innocence with terms for toying with people or treating them as playthings. Afterward, redeem yourself by learning to express deep appreciation for things like calligraphy.