The Joy o' Kanji Essays

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pillow
JOK: 2115
This wide-ranging essay examines literature over millennia, from ancient China to "The Pillow Book" to Basho and Soseki, plus the connections between pillows, travel, and poetry. The essay covers several types of pillows (e.g., those atop boxes, those you hug, and manly pillows), pillows as cures, pillow-flipping ghosts, figurative pillows (e.g., railroad ties!), a confection, and more.
honey
JOK: 2116
See why four U.S. states have towns named Satsuma! Learn how a molasses flood killed 21 people! Find out how the Japanese perceive "honeymoon,” and read about "honeyed words," beeswax, and two types of sweet fruit. Also learn to say, "Bees provide us with honey," "Flowers attract bees," "You are always as busy as a bee," and "Hot lemonade with honey is good for colds."
dark
JOK: 2117
See how to use a "pleasant memory to take to the afterlife" in a sinister way, even as harassment. Learn to distinguish between two Japanese senses of "afterlife," and discover Japanese versus Western concepts of hell. Find out how to convey fulfillment as a professional, how to express condolences in various religions, and how to say "unseen" versus "explicit" divine protection.
noodles
JOK: 2118
Japan has oodles of noodles! Aside from udon, soba, and ramen, there’s chilled tsukemen, stringy somen, slender sanuki udon, horse chestnut flour noodles (which inspired a figurative term), and noodles named for Go stones. Read about ethnic separation of noodles, as well as manga and films centered on noodles. And see why the names of some non-noodle foods include 麺.
melt
JOK: 2119
Find out how far back the Japanese craved metal and see how acquiring it changed society, enabling people to have weapons, tools, coins, bells, sewn clothes, and even sacred mirrors. Learn to talk about metal experts, from blacksmiths and swordsmiths to metallurgists and those who separate metal from ore. Also discover why there are wavy patterns on Japanese sword blades.
increasingly
JOK: 2120
Discover the shocking roots of the language and people of Japan (i.e., Yayoi versus Jomon). Find out about Buddhist figures and terms that have eluded you. And learn to say, “They hooted at his suggestion,” “That makes you even more attractive,” “That’s nothing more than a temporary remedy,” and “The origins of (certain) kanji will make your hair stand on end with fear.”
illustrate
JOK: 2122
Learn to compare life to climbing a mountain, to a stage, and to a voyage, while likening death to sleep. Discover the Japanese metaphor for being unable to use one’s talents in a new environment. Find out how to use “torii,” “bow and arrow,” and “bread” to stand for larger entities, along with “mountain” and “temple” in certain regions. Also see what alchemy and lemons represent in Japan.
play with; ridicule
JOK: 2123
Learn to toy with others and to say, “There’s a limit to how much you can disrespect me,” “Brazil’s offense toyed with Japan’s team,” and “Stop making fun of me!” Find out how to speak of fiddling with hair, playing with keys, and searching for a switch in the dark. Reconceive of gardening and farming as playing with dirt, learning to say, “Father gardens whenever he gets a chance.”
gush
JOK: 2124
With 湧, you can talk about hot springs and cool pools. You will discover a famous group of springs at the foot of Fuji and will see how marketers associate brands and products with words for "springs." You'll also encounter a wealth of figurative expressions about things that emerge (e.g., a flood of ideas) and that come out of nowhere, whether storm clouds or enemy soldiers.
bewitching
JOK: 2125
See why people needed to invent yokai, the supernatural creatures populating manga, legends, and woodblock prints. Learn various terms for “monster,” including one that can figuratively refer to villains or heroes. Discover words for “magic” (Eastern vs. Western), “something that confuses people,” and “bewitched sword,” and examine the female side of some 妖 terms.
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