This page provides a synopsis of all 545 kanji that have so far been featured by Joy o' Kanji. Each section provides the ability to purchase and download a kanji essay (), study flashcards for the essay content (), play entertaining study games (), or view the kanji's details on Kanshudo ().
How to access Joy o' Kanji essays
Show:
Sort:
Search for essays:
塔
pagoda
JOK: 1651
This gorgeous photo essay explains the origins of the pagoda; presents historic pagodas in Japan; tells you how to talk about pagodas with 2, 3, or 5 tiers; and explains the "cosmology" of stone pagodas. From the Leaning Tower of Pisa to the literal and figurative Tower of Babel, you'll find out about towers, also discovering what it means to call someone a control tower.
搭
load
JOK: 1652
Knowing 搭, you can board Japanese planes confidently. You'll be able to ask what time boarding begins and where. You'll know how to say, "I was told to check in 2 hours before my flight." When you hear "Welcome aboard" in Japanese, you'll understand. Outside of airline contexts, you can use 搭 to say that your PC comes with Android installed and that your mobile phone has a camera.
痘
pox
JOK: 1654
Find out how smallpox once killed a third of the Japanese population. See how Japan did and did not respond to the smallpox epidemic in the Edo era. Learn terms for “smallpox,” “smallpox vaccine,” “chickenpox,” “monkeypox,” “pockmark,” “pockmarked face,” and more. Also discover how smallpox connects to cows, seeds, dimples, sci-fi imaginings, and a former pond in Tokyo.
稲
rice plant
JOK: 1656
This kanji has quite a split personality. Growing rice (稲) is a deeply down-to-earth pursuit. But 稲 is also linked to fanciful notions that lightning impregnates rice and that tofu-loving foxes are messengers for the god Inari (稲荷). He is reputed to help with crops, health, sex, and money, so Inari shrines abound, steeped in fox statues and other symbols—all a far cry from farmers’ earthy concerns.
騰
inflation
JOK: 1660
This kanji helps us talk about everything from boiling water to soaring stock prices. Learn to use a term for “boiling point” to say, “He gets angry easily.” Also find out how to say, “This documentary is controversial,” “Prices have jumped,” “The rise in prices is putting pressure on our family budget,” “Public opinion was heated,” and “We are analyzing factors in fluctuating crude oil prices.”
洞
cave
JOK: 1661
Find out how the structure of 洞 reflects the process of forming a cave. Learn to talk about limestone caves, stalactites, and stalagmites. See how the Japanese have used caves for everything from shelter to religion. Discover how people use 洞 to discuss insightfulness and to describe a particular kind of loss. Enjoy several photos of Japanese caves, as well as kanji signs for those caves.
胴
torso
JOK: 1662
Learn how to discuss torsos and waists, as in "The victim's torso and head were found," "The dachshund is a cute type of dog with a long body and short legs," and "It bothers me that I have no waist." Also see all the random topics to which 胴 connects, including aircraft fuselage, boat hulls, armor, swords, martial arts, clothing, musical instruments, and gambling.
峠
ridge
JOK: 1663
After reading about this famous kokuji, you'll know how to say that you're "over the hump" of a crisis and that a trend has peaked. You'll also understand the significance of mountain passes in Japan, including the military importance they had in the past, the dangers they once posed to travelers, the way they've inspired woodblock artists, and the abundance of hot springs at passes.
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).
豚
pork
JOK: 1670
Sorry, vegetarians! This essay will be hard to stomach, as the bulk of 豚 terms involve pork. The good news is that 豚 also appears in fanciful sayings, harsh insults, and terms for other animals, including blowfish (“river pigs”), dolphins (“sea pigs”), and aardvarks (“earth pigs”). The bad news is that some of those animals also end up on people’s plates!
Kanshudo is your AI Japanese tutor, and your constant companion on the road to mastery of the Japanese language.
To get started learning Japanese, just follow the study recommendations on your Dashboard.
You can use Quick search (accessible using the icon at the top of every page) to look up any Japanese word, kanji or grammar point, as well as to find anything on Kanshudo quickly.
For an overview, take the tour.