japanwords

[japanwords]

影 (ka-ge) "shadow"

Japanese kanji characters are made up of smaller parts.

The left hand side of a kanji is called then "hen". In the case of 影, the "hen" is 景, which means "scenery" and can be a complete kanji by itself.

The right hand side of a kanji is called the "tsukuri". In this case the "tsukuri" is three diagonal lines, which refers to "hair" or "bristles". As far as I am aware these three lines are rarely, if ever, used as a complete kanji by themselves (unlike 景 “scenery”), and nearly always appear in combination with other parts.

We can divide this 影 kanji into even smaller parts. 

The “hen” 景 (scenery) can be divided further into the top part: 日 (“sun”) and the lower part: 京 (“capital city”). 

These smaller component parts are called "radicals". 

Some radicals can only be used in combination with other radicals (such as the three line “tsukuri” mentioned above).

On the other hand, some radicals can function as complete kanji by themselves. 日 “sun” and 京 “capital city” both do this.

日 means "sun" or "day", as in 日本 "Japan" - literally "the land of the rising sun".

京 means "capital city" as in 東京 "Tokyo" - literally "East Capital" and 京都 "Kyoto" - literally "capital city" (Kyoto was the capital city from about 1100 to 1850).

[japanwords]

桜梅桃李 (ō-bai-tō-ri) “never compare yourself to others”

This yo-ji-juku-go (Japanese 4-character idiom) is comprised of 4 beloved Japanese trees. They are:

桜 = cherry (sakura)

梅 = apricot (ume)

桃 = peach (momo)

李 = plum (sumomo)

桜 (sakura) are of course the cherry blossom trees famous for blooming spectacularly and incredibly briefly once a year, usually in April. Sakura trees in full bloom is an annual event, and people go to their local park to see them, take photos, and have picnics underneath them. It's such a big deal that it's reported on the weather forecast, with reporters commenting on how quickly the "sakura front" is moving northwards across the country.

梅 (ume) is the "ume" in umeshu! This is a sweet liqueur which is made from soaking ume in sake. It tastes amazing, and is one of the things I miss most about Japan. Japanese learners will no doubt recognise "ume" as usually being translated as "plum", however it is technically closer to the Western apricot.

桃 (momo) is one of the best-loved fruits in Japan. There is even a fairy story called "Momo-taro" about a little boy who comes from inside a peach. He grows up to be a great hero, of course, and saves everyone from a demon. "Momo" is also a fairly common girls' name.

李 (sumomo) are known as "Japanese plums" or "Asian plums". The trees are famous for their delicate white flowers. They usually bloom just before the sakura. Whilst not as famous or as showy as sakura, they are well-loved for their elegance, and for being a sign of spring.

Each of these beloved trees blooms in its own time and in its own unique way :)

This artwork is available from my Etsy site here.

[japanwords]

熊蟄穴 When bears begin to hibernate

In ancient times Japanese people divided the year into 72 "micro-seasons". These seasons were based on natural events such as the weather and appearance of various flora and fauna.

Today marks the start of 熊蟄穴

熊 = bear

蟄 = hibernation. (It traditionally refers to the hibernation of insects; the more common word for animal hibernation is 冬眠 - literally "winter sleep".)

穴 = hole, den

So, the time when bears start hibernating in their dens.

You can find out more about Japanese micro-seasons here.

[japanwords]

七転八起 "fall 7 times, get up 8 times" or "never give up!"

七 = seven

転 = fall down

八 = eight

起 = get up

In other words, “fall down seven times, get up eight times”, or “even if you fail a lot, don’t give up!”

七転八起 is a special kind of Japaneses idiom known as a 四字熟語 (よじじゅくご、yo-ji-juku-go), or 4-character idiom. As the name suggests, these are idiomatic phrases made of 4 kanji.

They often contain a small life lesson or moral message, similar to English sayings such as “you reap what you sow” and “the early bird gets the worm”.

The artwork above is available from my Etsy site here.

[japanwords]

師走 (shiwasu) "December" (archaic)

Like many countries, Japan uses a 12-month calendar. The names are very simple. January is literally "Month one" 一月, February is "Month two" 二月, etc.

However, before the Meiji Restoration (mid-1800s) it was common to use an older 12-month system. These months’ names referenced the weather and the seasons (similar to the French Revolutionary calendar).

December is 師走.

師 can refer to a teacher, a mentor, often in a religious sense. In this context it means a monk.

走 means "running".

In December, monks are super busy preparing for the New Year's festival, hence why the last month of the year is literally "the month of running monks".

[japanwords]

Making Huizhou inksticks (徽墨), famous for its high quality.

Notes:

The characters OP pressed into the inksticks are 山白, OP's username

The "internal heat" referred to in the video is a term in Traditional Chinese medicine referring to a cause of inflammation, swelling, twitching, etc.

[eng by me]

[japanwords]

粋 (iki) "understated elegance"

"Iki" is a Japanese aesthetic ideal. It refers to subtle elegance and sophistication.

One of the aspects of iki is caring about the sensibilities of others. What you wear should make others feel comfortable, and wearing stylish clothing is a way of respecting those around you.

This doesn’t mean that you can’t wear what you want, but neither does it mean that you can’t think about how your appearance affects others. Iki is somewhere in between.

[japanwords]

幸 Happiness

This original Japanese calligraphy artwork is available on my Etsy store

[japanwords]

栄 "prosperity"

This original artwork is available from my Etsy site

[japanwords]

寿 “congratulations”

This kanji is often found on Japanese greetings cards, and also on those fancy paper envelopes you put money in when you go to a wedding. It means “congratulations”. It can also mean “long life”.

It is also the first kanji in the most common way to write sushi -（寿司）. This kanji is used for “sushi” not because it has anything connected to raw fish on rice, but because another way to read it is “su”, and because it has a positive meaning. It’s appropriate because sushi is often served at special occasions.

This artwork is available from my Etsy shop:

[japanwords]

霜月 (shimotsuki) "November" (archaic) (literally "the month of frost")

Like many countries, Japan uses a 12-month calendar. The names are very simple. January is literally "Month one", February is "Month two", etc:

一月 = January

二月 = February

However, before the Meiji Restoration (mid-1800s) it was common to use an older 12-month system. These months’ names referenced the weather and the seasons (similar to the French Revolutionary calendar).

“霜” refers to frost, which seems a little early for November. This is because this old calendar system is based on a lunar calendar with exactly 28 days in each month. The months don’t fit into a year exactly, and so the months get earlier and earlier each year. Every so often the calendar had to be adjusted a little.

[japanwords]

花火（hanabi) “fireworks”

Like many celebrations across the world, fireworks often play a part in Japanese festivities. In Japan, they are most commonly associated with the summer festival. I chose to write this word because in my home country of the UK it will soon be Bonfire Night (Guy Fawkes’ Night) , a time for making fires and letting off fireworks.

There's also a rhyme that goes with it:

Remember, remember, the 5th of November

Gunpowder, treason and plot

I see no reason why gunpowder treason

Should ever be forgot.

Have a fun November 5th :)

[japanwords]

愛は勝つ (ai wa katsu) "love wins"

I created this as a commission for a friend who wanted to give it as part of a gift.

Before writing, I double checked the Japanese with my Japanese teacher to make sure it sounded natural (I *always* do this - it saves embarrassing mistakes!).

She said that as well as sounding natural, it is also:

a well-known pop song

the name of a charity campaign to raise money for survivors of the Fukushima earthquake/tsunami disaster.

My friend also wanted some parts of the characters in red.

Can you see the significance of the red parts?

The 心 in 愛 (love) on its own means "heart".

The 力 in 勝つ (win) on its own means "power".

Japanese kanji are pretty awesome that way :)

If you're interested in surprising a friend with a unique gift, why not consider commissioning a calligraphy work?

[japanwords]

龍 (ryuu) "dragon"

If you visit a shrine or temple in Japan, look up at the ceiling in the main room. Often it will be painted with the image of a dragon. One reason for this is that dragons represent the virtue of courage. However there is also a more superstitious reason: dragons are associated with the element of Water, and their image is believed to serve as protection against fire. This is very important in a country like Japan where wood is the main building material.

If you look closely, you will notice that the dragon is clutching a ball in one of its feet. Much like their European counterparts, Japanese dragons also like to collect precious objects. These balls are the “Dragon Ball” of the eponymous comic book - the ball-shaped jewels that grant the owner wishes.

In Buddhism, one of the most important concepts is the “jewel within the lotus”, cryptically described as “the jewel that grants all desires”, and represented pictorially as a precious jewel - the Dragon Ball.

This original artwork is available from my Etsy site here

[japanwords]

恩 (on) “favour, gratitude, obligation”

“On” is the concept of having received a great favour, feeling grateful, and knowing that you owe somebody a lot.

The way it is used in Japanese makes it seem like less of a subjective feeling, and more of a tangible object, like a thing that you now possess because somebody helped you greatly. In Japanese, 'I am very indebted' is literally 'I have a lot of “on” '.

The Ghibli movie "The Cat Returns" is titled "猫の恩返し" (Neko no Ongaeshi) in the original Japanese.

"返し" means to give something back, so "恩返し" means "returning the favour". The Japanese title makes it clear that the cat isn't just returning for no reason; he's returning because he's an honourable cat and he wants to pay back his "on".

[japanwords]

無心 (mu-shin) “no-mind” or “nothingness mind”

An important concept in meditation and martial arts.

If you have mu-shin, your mind is free from thoughts, desires and assumptions.

The Buddhist nun Reverend Jiyu-Kennett once said: “It’s nothing... but it’s the fullest kind of nothing there ever was!”

When your mind is clear, and you are free from ego and can act naturally and spontaneously.

The artwork in the photo is an original one-off, available from my Etsy store here.

[japanwords]

無常 (mu-jō) “impermanence”

"Western aesthetics is sometimes familiar with simplicity, asymmetry and suggestion, but the idea that beauty lies in its own vanishing is an idea much less common. Perishability remains, however, what [Donald] Keene has called the 'the most distinctively Japanese aesthetic ideal'. It is certainly among the earliest, being based on the Buddhist concept of "mujō"... nothing is stable, and our only refuge lies in accepting, even celebrating this."

-Donald Richie, A Tractate on Japanese Aesthetics, 2007