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Bundle 14: Ups and Downs

This essay collection about hilly topography focuses in part on the physical world: bumpy surfaces, volcanic cones, lens curvature, embossed paper, and especially flat abs! But such topics are also rich in figurative possibilities. One essay first examines objects that stand apart from the rest, then demonstrates how being separated from the main action affords a clear vantage point. That essay also touches on unrequited love. Another illuminates how it feels to be overwhelmed and slightly depressed. A third addresses the ups and downs of life. Uneven ground proves to be fertile!
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凹
concave
JOK: 1032
English speakers rarely refer to concavity, but the Japanese use 凹 in an astonishing variety of ways. They need it when writing about everything from dimpled golf balls, potholes, and cupped hands to inconsistent income and the moon's irregular surface. With 凹, one can also mention cognitive and psychological states. And this kanji is crucial in discussions of both topography and flat abs!
丘
hill
JOK: 1149
Learn to say, “The hills were covered with snow” and “He sledded down the hill.” See how 丘 differs from three other hill kanji. Find out about the Hill of Promises and Hill of Freedom. Discover the risk of sitting on a pipe as an unestablished couple. Take a crash course in volcanology. Investigate terms for round body parts. And see why noblewomen hired nuns to take the blame for farts!
凸
convex
JOK: 1667
Discover a kanji for all that protrudes or curves outward: a forehead, Braille, lenses, and relief printing. Learn to say, "The moon’s surface is irregular," "The bus rattled as it traveled along the bumpy road," and "A golf ball has dimples to make it easy to control." Find out how to discuss the topography of mountainous Japan, as well as figurative unevenness (e.g., life's ups and downs).
岡
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.
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