The Joy o' Kanji Essays

迎

Eminently practical, 迎 plays a role in terms for shuttle buses, welcome parties, and phrases like "Your ride is here," "I'll come get you," and "I met her at the station." But you can also use 迎 to discuss pandering, an optical illusion at dawn, and autumn leaves at their peak. Moreover, 迎 has a strong link to death, as in the case of spirits who welcome you to the other world before you die.

鯨

See how whales relate to cows, hippopotami, and boars. Learn anatomical terms from blubber to the blowhole. Discover why sperm whales are “incense whales” in Japanese, see what “the scent of dragon slobber” represents, and learn why 鬚 (beard) appears in important whale words. Find out about Osaka’s whalebone bridge, and learn how the Japanese talk about the whaling controversy.

肩

Your head rests on two good shoulders. The roads you travel on may have shoulders. Metaphorically, your shoulders help you carry the weight of burdens. Clearly, you need to know how to discuss shoulders. This essay will teach you key vocabulary and expressions related to this topic. You'll find out, for instance, what a tap on the shoulder means in Japan. Furthermore, you'll learn what the slope of shoulders indicates about someone's state of mind.

倹

Find out why the Japanese have long valued thrift—but less so now. Read about the tyranny of gift exchanges. Learn to say, “He scrimped and saved for many years,” “To make our house payments, we'll have to tighten our belts,” and “Though he is fairly well off, he is frugal. He takes after his father in that respect.” Also see how John Lennon and Yoko Ono connect to this discussion of frugality.

剣

This packed-to-the-gills essay teaches everything about the Japanese sword, from its connections to Buddhism and samurai to its metaphorical role. You'll learn how people use 剣 and 刀 quite differently. Fantastic photos provide glimpses of sword-bearing martial arts, supplementing the discussion of kendo. In one quiz, you'll even consider which animals come equipped with swords!

圏

This kanji makes us conceive of the world thematically, linking countries in unexpected ways (e.g., those that use euros or Chinese characters). With 圏 you can also convey that a restaurant is “within a 10-minute walk” or that you’re “out of range” and can’t make a phone call. Learn to say “Tokyo Metropolitan area,” “Kanto region,” and “My family lives far from a metropolitan area.”

謙

Find out how to say, "He modestly understated his fabulous achievements" and "His modesty is commendable." Learn about honorific versus humble speech: the purpose, formation, and altered vocabulary. And "meet" people with 謙 in their names, such as actor Ken Watanabe; the first person to cross the Pacific by yacht; and an empress who may have dallied with a sinister monk.

繭

The Japanese associate 繭 with silkworms, even though other animals make cocoons. Find out how silkworms develop, producing a mile-long silky thread, and how people turn that filament into usable silk. See why the Japanese have been passionate about silk for millennia, and learn how that enthusiasm ties in with religion, architecture, literature, video games, and cosmetics.

幻

This kanji enables us to talk about what isn’t really there: illusory countries on old maps, phantom limbs, an alcoholic’s hallucinations, sorcery, and mythical creatures. Learn about phantom rice and phantom railroad lines, and see what “pursuing phantoms” really means. Find out about magic mushrooms in Japan, as well as mushroom statues created long ago and very far from Japan.

玄

Find out about the shape that figures prominently in the name of a green tea and the word for "brown rice." It's also the "blackness" radical. What a colorful character! Or should I say "What a mysterious character"? It primarily means "mysterious," and it unexpectedly lends that meaning to such common words as 玄関 (げんかん: entranceway).