The Joy o' Kanji Essays

傘

Find out how paper umbrellas are made and why they're rare. Discover why one type of Western umbrella (which is named after a blind animal!) was banned in the Osaka area. Also see why one kind of umbrella has 蛇 (snake) in its name. Learn to say "overprotected," "subsidiary," and "mushroom cap" with 傘, and read about the role of umbrellas in kabuki dances and in young love.

暫

Find out about a common term that means both "a short while" and "a long while," sometimes confusing native speakers! Learn to talk about tentatively set times, provisional agreements, and interim governments. And see how various ways of saying "It's been awhile!" or "He came back after awhile" have subtly different nuances, as do assorted terms that mean "for awhile."

肢

Find out about a kanji in which, etymologically, human limbs are likened to tree branches. Learn to refer to physical disabilities in general, to people who have them, to phantom pain, and to types of paralysis. See how the Japanese compare a sexy woman to a certain lithe animal that pops up three times in this essay. And discover how 肢 ended up in a word for “choices.”

紫

Purple (紫) has special meaning in Japan. An old name for one of the four major islands contains 紫. The 'Tale of Genji' author chose an alias that included 紫. Kyoto and Edo each had a shade of purple named after them, thanks to a purple plant dye. Purple is associated with various types of elites in Japan. And some Japanese perceive soy sauce and tobacco smoke as purple!

飼

Learn to talk about pets, saying things such as “He has a cat and two dogs,” “He had a dog before,” “He keeps some mice for research purposes,” and “Does Nancy want a dog?” See how the Japanese say “tame birds, “grazing sheep,” “raising cattle,” and “take the dog outside.” Also learn fun figurative expressions related to workplace issues, child rearing, and the game Go.

滋

Do you associate "nutritious" with "delicious"? The answer may depend on culture! Find out how to talk about both things with the same term, which can also mean "feast for the senses." See how Japanese and European ideas about medicinal cooking have intertwined, discover how Japanese superstars boost their energy, and learn how to help your ears by tending to your kidneys!

軸

From Earth’s axis to a penholder, from a car axle to the shaft of a feather, 軸 represents entities that are straight and long. In addition, 軸 has fun figurative uses, enabling people to say, “the core of my thinking,” “innovative plan,” “central role,” and “Language is a vertical axis connecting you to your ancestors.” Our kanji is also in terms for “Axis powers” and “axis of evil.” Learn their back stories!

執

With the take-charge kanji 執, you can conduct orchestras, manage corporations, perform surgery, and command armies. Passions run hot with 執, which drives words for "antagonism," "obsession," and "stubborn," appearing in sentences that mean "That team won through tenacity rather than technique," "He still sticks to his opinion," and "He clung to the hope that he could be a lawyer.”

漆

This richly illustrated essay features photos of rare lacquered works, including a suit of armor with an image of the deity Fudo-Myoo, a cabinet shaped like a monk's backpack, a tiered picnic set, and a large seated Buddha. Find out about Zeshin Shibata's lacquer art and methods of decorating lacquerwork with gold and silver. Also learn about lacquer toxicity and the meaning of "japanning"!

芝

The lawn grass kanji is intimately tied to the theater world. Knowing about 芝 therefore enables you to discuss the pretension and theatrical behavior that can characterize that culture. Learn how to use the word for "theater" to say that someone is faking something (such as illness).