#samurai-kanji

[a1jordan1017]

STOPU42

[boydswan]

七人の侍 (1954) | 監督 · 黑沢明

[hauntingofhouses]

the meaning behind the kanji of mizu and taigen's names is literally not ever gonna leave my mind.

like are you kidding me. mizu is 水 ("water"), we all know that. but what drives me insane is that taigen is 泰源 ("peaceful origin").

so when you put them together ("tai" 泰 + "mizu" 水), you literally get "peaceful water."

MIZU ALONE IS JUST MIZU, BUT PUT TAIGEN NEXT TO HER AND IT'S MIZU, BUT AT PEACE.

ALSO, both "tai" 泰 and "gen" 源 contain the "mizu" 水 character as a radical. for those unfamiliar with japanese or even chinese, a radical basically means a building block for another character; so in this case, the kanji for "tai" and "gen" both use the kanji for "mizu" as one of their building blocks.

this is also why, while "gen" 源 can refer to any general type of origin or source, it also specifically refers to a fountainhead: a source of water, or the origin of a river or stream.

and like yeah okay i know that it's a 99.9% chance that the creators didn't even think about any of this. but STILL. the brainworms have fully taken over and i am going CRAZY.

[discopaws]

also have a rabbit lightning genichiro!

[japanwords]

義 (gi) "integrity" - the first virtue of 武士道 (bushidō)

Recently I've been researching 武士道 (bushidō) - the ancient Japanese way of the warrior, mostly to try to figure out if it ever was actually a legit thing, or if it's a modern invention.

Spoiler alert: it's a bit of both. You can read my conclusions in my Wordpress article here.

Bushidō comes with a handy list of 8 virtues that one can follow to lead one's best and most noble life. You may not have been born a samurai, but you can still live like one by following this code.

The first virtue is "“Rectitude or Justice”, which I have "translated" as "integrity", for reasons below:

Historically in Japan, opinion on what was “right” or “moral” was fairly uniform.

In modern Western countries, people of many different cultures and backgrounds live side by side, so it is neither possible nor desirable for individuals to always look to their societal norms for moral guidance. 

These days what is considered “right” is often something that one must decide for oneself.

However, the ideal of sticking to one’s values even when it is difficult is still considered a virtue: that of having personal integrity.

[itsmarjudgelove]

Kubikase 頚鉗

Neck handcuffs

Ryukyu Kingdom

[the-blog-of-gog]

(via "Cyber Ronin, Untouchable, Japanese Writing" Long T-Shirt for Sale by Burn-Ego)

[kanisky]

new desgin available ⚔⛩️

Available in the official store 👇🏼

[anne-bsd-bibliophile]

This fits Soushi so well! ˚‧º·(˃̣̣̥∩˂̣̣̥)‧º·˚

I love a character raised to be a weapon as much as the next guy. But what really gets me is a character raised to be a shield. Who can’t fathom being needed—or even being wanted— beyond keeping others safe. Who believe they are alive only to insure someone doesn’t die. no matter the cost. Characters who self-sacrifice not because they think they deserve it, but because no one else does deserve it, and it’s their job to protect.

Characters who’ve been told that’s why your important. Your worth something because this other person/ thing is important, and you are here solely to keep them safe.

Bonus points if it’s not a legitimate job they’ve been given. Maybe at one point it was, but now that they are free from it, they haven’t given up that mentality. No one is forcing or asking them to do this, but they need to. They need to in order to be deserving.

[venomouslj]

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[powerkanjifit]

("Karate T Shirt - Okinawa Karate T Shirt - Cobra T Shirt - Okinawa 1972 T Shirt " Essential T-Shirt for Sale by PowerKanjiFitから)

[hauntingofhouses]

Blue Eye Samurai Characters' Names in Kanji

These are the official kanji used in the Netflix Japanese subtitles.

Disclaimer: I am not Japanese and am still a beginner learner. If there are any errors in pronunciation or meaning of the kanji listed below, please let me know!

1. Mizu: 水 [mizu]

water, fluid, liquid

2. Ringo: 林檎 [ringo] apple

林 [hayashi] forest, woods, grove 檎 [jin] apple, fruit

3. Taigen: 泰源 [tai-gen]

泰 [yasu] peaceful, calm 源 [gen] fountainhead, wellspring; source, origin

4. Akemi: 明美 [ake-mi]

明 [mei] bright, light, clarifying 美 [bi] beauty, beautiful

5. Master Eiji: 鋭司 [ei-ji]

鋭 [ei] sharp, pointed, acute, keen 司 [tsukasa] an official, a manager, a boss

6. Seki: 関 [seki]

barrier, gateway, close, seal, relation

7. Madame Kaji: 梶 [kaji]

oar, paper mulberry tree

8. Mikio: 幹男 [miki-o]

幹 [miki] tree trunk, plant stem 男 [otoko] man, adult male

9. Heiji Shindo: 新堂 [shin-do] 平次 [hei-ji]

新 [shin] new, novelty 堂 [do] hall, temple, shrine 平 [hira] something flat; something ordinary, mediocre 次 [tsugi] next, order, sequence, below

[zazzle-designs-mall]

Samurai Japanese Kanji T-Shirt

[japanwords]

自制 (jisei) "self-discipline" - the eighth virtue of 武士道 (bushidō)

Recently I've been researching 武士道 (bushidō) - the ancient Japanese way of the warrior, mostly to try to figure out if it ever was actually a legit thing, or if it's a modern invention.

Spoiler alert: it's a bit of both. You can read my conclusions in my Medium article here.

Bushidō comes with a handy list of 8 virtues that one can follow to lead one's best and most noble life. You may not have been born a samurai, but you can still live like one by following this code.

The eighth virtue is “Self-Control”, which I have translated as "self-discipline", for reasons explained below.

These 8 virtues were first mentioned in Nitobe Inazao's 1899 book "Bushido: the Soul of Japan".

When introducing “self-control”, Nitobe brings together previous virtues: “The discipline of fortitude (勇 (yū) courage) on the one hand, inculcating endurance without a groan (名誉 (meiyō) reputation), and the teaching of politeness (礼 (rei) respect) on the other, requiring us not to mar the pleasure or serenity of another by manifestations of our own sorrow or pain, combined to engender a stoical turn of mind.”

Nitobe makes it clear that this “stoical” behaviour was considered a virtue: “It was considered unmanly for a samurai to betray his emotions on his face… The most natural affections were kept under control.”

Such strict “control” of one’s emotions may seem excessive and unnecessary to a modern Western audience, which is why I have “translated” this virtue as “self-discipline”. With the previous seven virtues as a guide, one can use discipline to make a conscious effort to guide one’s life in a positive direction.

[rollingtsuchinoko]

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