Japanese has a separate writing system for writing foreign words. It's called katakana and it's mostly used for foreign loan words such as kōhī (coffee), pan (bread) and gorufu (golf). It's also used for foreign names. If your name isn't originally written in kanji (the logographic characters used in Japan, China, and to a lesserContinue reading "Writing foreign names in Japanese"
独立独歩 (doku-ritsu-dop-po) “To be independent and do things one’s own way”
The kanji:独 (1st and 3rd kanji) = independence立 = standing歩 = walking This phrases refers to following the path you believe in on your own, without relying on others.The second kanji means "standing", so perhaps a more elegant English translation is "standing on one's own two feet".独立独歩 is a special kind of Japaneses idiom knownContinue reading "独立独歩 (doku-ritsu-dop-po) “To be independent and do things one’s own way”"
迷悟一如 (mei-go-ichi-nyo)
The kanji: 迷 being lost, confused, considering 悟 enlightenment 一 one 如 same So... “being confused and being enlightened are one and the same” In traditional Japanese culture, it is considered ethical to take a long time to reach a decision and come to a conclusion. Quick decisions are seen as rash and may leadContinue reading "迷悟一如 (mei-go-ichi-nyo)"
水無月 (mi-na-tsuki) “The month of water”
The kanji: 水 = water 無 = none / not any 月 = month 無 means "not any", not "of". So why doesn't this mean "the month with no water"? According to wikipedia, this 無 is used purely as an ateji, which is a kanji used for its pronunciation rather than its meaning. 無 isContinue reading "水無月 (mi-na-tsuki) “The month of water”"
Excerpt from the Heart Sutra
是諸法空相 = All phenomena bear the mark of Emptiness 不生不滅 = no Birth no Death 不垢不浄 = no Defilement no Purity 不増不減 = no Increasing no Decreasing (Translation by Thich Nhat Hanh) The Heart Sutra is one of the most important sutras (religious texts) in Buddhism. It celebrates the idea that all things of theContinue reading "Excerpt from the Heart Sutra"
珈琲 (kōhī) “coffee”
Image by Rebecca (client) Japanese language students will know that "coffee" is usually written in katakana: コーヒー However it does have a kanji! (Or rather, it's made of 2 kanji): 珈琲 These kanji are what is known as ateji - kanji which are used to phonetically represent foreign loan words. In many cases, the atejiContinue reading "珈琲 (kōhī) “coffee”"
日進月歩 (nisshin geppō) “steady progress” 🐢
Tried to do something different from my usual style here. It was challenging but I like the result.The kanji in this idiom:日 = day (or sun)進 = progress月 = month (or moon)歩 = walking / steps 日進月歩 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 nameContinue reading "日進月歩 (nisshin geppō) “steady progress” 🐢"
笑門来福 （shōmonraifuku）”Good fortune comes to a happy home”
The kanji in this phrase are: 笑 = laughing, smiling 門 = gate, door 来 = comes 福 = good luck In other words, good luck will come to the door of those who are smiling. This phrase is an abbreviation of 笑う門には福来る (warau mon ni wa fuku kuru). Shortened to 笑門来福, it becomes aContinue reading "笑門来福 （shōmonraifuku）”Good fortune comes to a happy home”"
無常 (mujō) “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"...Continue reading "無常 (mujō) “impermanence”"
心 (kokoro) “heart/mind”
Unlike in English, where "heart" and "mind" are typically separated (emotion vs. logic), 心 kokoro refers to both feelings and thoughts, and even one’s will or intent. It combines thoughts, feelings, intentions and even morality in a way that the English word "heart" does not, which is probably why the translators of Natsume Soseki's famous novel Kokoro chose to leaveContinue reading "心 (kokoro) “heart/mind”"
Calligraphy by Vicky 