Tag: kanji
All the articles with the tag "kanji".
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God Kanji (神): The Meaning of Kami and How to Write It
By K. YamaThe kanji 神 joins an altar to an old lightning bolt: the divine shown as awesome power. What kami really means, from Shinto shrines to the thunder god.
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Endurance Kanji (忍): Perseverance, the Ninja & How to Write It
By K. YamaThe kanji 忍 sets a blade over a heart: to endure is to bear what cuts. It names the ninja, the quiet virtue of forbearance, and a sharper, darker edge.
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Happiness Kanji (幸): Meaning, Dark Origins & How to Write It
By K. YamaHappiness kanji (幸): its oldest forms point to handcuffs and escaped death. Why, in Japanese, good fortune turns out to be the calamity that didn't happen.
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Beauty Kanji (美): The 'Big Sheep' Character, Explained
By K. YamaUpdated:The kanji 美 (beauty) is built from 'big' and 'sheep' — and grew into the root of art, aesthetics, even 'delicious.' Its history and how to write it.
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Oni Kanji (鬼): Demon, Protector, and How to Write It
By K. YamaUpdated:鬼 (oni) means demon — but oni guard rooftops as well as haunt tales, and the character once meant 'ghost.' Its double life, and how to write it.
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Dream Kanji (夢): Meaning, Etymology, and How to Write It
By K. YamaUpdated:The kanji for dream (夢) holds two meanings English splits apart: the dream you sleep through and the one you chase. Its origin and how to write it.
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Flower Kanji (花): Meaning, Hanami, and How to Write It
By K. YamaUpdated:花 (hana) means flower — a kanji with 'change' hidden inside it, and the character behind hanami and ikebana. Meaning, readings, and how to write it.
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Emptiness Kanji (空): Sky, Void, and the Heart Sutra
By K. YamaUpdated:空 means both 'sky' and 'emptiness,' and in Zen it carries the Heart Sutra's śūnyatā. How one character holds the heavens and the void, and how to write it.
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Dragon Kanji (龍): Meaning, the Two Forms, and How to Write It
By K. YamaUpdated:The kanji 龍 means dragon — a water god, not a fire-beast. What it stands for in Japan, the two written forms 龍 and 竜, and how to write all 16 strokes.
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Fortune Kanji (福): Meaning, Luck & How to Write It
By K. YamaUpdated:The kanji 福 (fuku) is the luck character Japan hangs everywhere at New Year. Where it comes from, what it promises, and how to write it well.
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