The Joy o' Kanji Essays

鐘

Do you know the difference between a 鐘 and a 鈴? Hint: Each bell has a different religious affiliation! Do you know which parts of a bell are associated with dragons, colts, and breasts? Do you know how to eat a bell? Do you know why they ring temple bells 108 times? Do you know what it means to strike an alarm bell figuratively? Read the essay, and you'll soon know all of this!

丈

The simple-looking 丈 is a "coatrack" on which scads of meanings hang. Our kanji lies at the heart of 大丈夫 (okay), in terms conveying strength, and in several adverbs. Moreover, 丈 plays a key role in measurements of height (e.g., of people) and length (especially of clothes). Thanks to the last meaning, 丈 is in the name of an island famous for silks, drumming, and unreal beauty.

冗

Learn to joke around in Japanese and to say, “He was amused at my joke,” “I said so jokingly, but she got angry,” and “His joke eased the tension in the room.” Find out how to talk about excess verbiage, as with “This sentence is too wordy” and “I eliminated redundancies.” Discover terms for on-the-job uselessness and excess, as in “I’m swamped with unnecessary work.”

畳

Find out how 畳 can represent both rigid tatami mats and foldable items. See how the mats relate to cobblestones, sardines, wives, and bald priests. Learn to discuss room size in terms of these mats, even if the room contains none. Read about formerly X-rated restaurant waiting rooms. And discover why two famous directors dissed documentaries, despite having made them.

壌

Japan is rich in agriculture now, but it once faced severe food shortages. Find out how people ingeniously transformed volcanic soil into arable farmland. Learn to talk about soil figuratively (as fertile ground for innovations) or literally, saying things like "Plants take in water from the soil" (Hint: There's a way to say "water" other than 水!) Also see what makes hydrangea flowers blue or red!

錠

This kanji takes us into the worlds of both locks and pills. See a combination lock with hanzi instead of numbers, find out what "shrimp lock" and "tail lock" represent, and learn how the Japanese historically secured their homes. Also discover how pills can wear "clothing," read about a candy made to resemble medicine, and see why one pharmacist's book is revolutionary.

醸

If you went by the primary meaning of 醸 (brewing) or by the 'saké' radical, you'd have no idea why 醸 pops up in sentences about a house with a strange layout, sad violin playing, a chair that feels luxurious, political controversies, and so on. The essay shows why! It also explains terms related to brewing alcohol, as well as types of ginjo saké (and how it has become less flabby!).

殖

Learn to talk about breeding everything from dogs to mushrooms and jewel beetles (which have figured into Japanese art!). Read about aquaculture, pearl cultivation, and the medaka (a fish). Find out how to say, “The reproduction instinct is deeply rooted in human nature,” “Low temperatures prevent bacteria from proliferating,” and “He devoted half of his life to developing Hokkaido.”

嘱

Learn how this tangle of a kanji entangles people in relationships. Also find out how to say this: “The world had its eyes on Japan,” “We place a great deal of hope for the future in these young men,” “People expect that he will become a teacher,” “I entrusted him with collecting data,” “Even after retiring, I continue to work part-time,” and “He was regarded as a very promising writer.”

辛

This essay will make your mouth and eyes water! You'll encounter words for "spicy," "salty," and "mustard," plus a regional dish with shiso leaves rolled around chili peppers. You'll learn to order dry saké or vodka diluted with tomato juice. This essay even shows how to make kanji sandwiches with the 辛 radical. Good times! Oh, and it explores bitterness about life's hardships!