The Joy o' Kanji Essays

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hill
JOK: 1968
Find out what role 岡 (primarily 'hill') could possibly play in a bathhouse, on an inkstone, in a wooden carrying box, in unrequited love, and in a 2nd-class red-light district. The essay provides connective thread between uses of 岡 that otherwise seem completely random. See how 岡 relates to 丘, another kanji for "hill." And enjoy a bevy of photos with 岡 in the names of people and places.
timid
JOK: 1969
Find out how the wind and the timidity-causing god can cause a loss of nerve. Also learn to say these things: “We looked down on him as cowardly,” “He is much too cowardly to attempt it,” “He audaciously crashed this party,” “She boldly went up to the king,” “You should offer your opinion without hesitating,” and “It's not something I can talk about in public without shame.”
me
JOK: 1970
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.
irritation
JOK: 1971
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.
tusk
JOK: 1972
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).
tile
JOK: 1973
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.
arrowroot
JOK: 1974
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!
cliff
JOK: 1977
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!
lid
JOK: 1978
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."
corpse
JOK: 1979
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.”
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