一生懸命 (is-shō-ken-mei) “to do something to the utmost of one’s ability”

一生懸命 (is-shou-ken-mei) is usually translated as something like “with utmost effort”. The kanji are: 一 = one 生 = life 懸 = depends (amongst other meanings...) 命 = fate A more literal translation might be: “doing something as if your life depends on it”. Fun fact, 一生懸命 is actually a 四字熟語 (yo-ji-juku-go), or 4-character idiom! This isContinue reading "一生懸命 (is-shō-ken-mei) “to do something to the utmost of one’s ability”"

言霊 (koto-dama) “word-spirit”

Koto-dama 言霊 is a traditional belief that mystical powers dwell in words and names.  Just like martial arts practitioners giving out a shout when they make a strike (“ki-ai!” - literally “meeting of spirit”) it is believed that sounds can affect our body, mind and soul.

陰陽 (in-yō) “yin-yang”

Yin is dark, cold, receptive, magnetic. Yang is light, hot, giving, active. Yin and Yang are relative. The element of water is usually considered very Yin, but fast-moving water is Yang compared to still water. Both are present in everything. Rather than being opposites, they are two sides of the same coin. A cup isContinue reading "陰陽 (in-yō) “yin-yang”"

積読 / 積ん読 tsundoku “The act of buying books and letting them pile up unread” 📚

Another case of "the Japanese language has a word for that"! The 2 kanji in this useful word are: 積 This comes from the word 積んでおく, meaning "to let something pile up". 読 Which comes from the noun 読書 (dokusho), meaning "reading". Japanese learners will recognise this kanji from 読む (yomu) "to read".

美 “beauty”

The English word “calligraphy” is derived from the Greek word Kalos, meaning “beautiful”. Beauty is also valued in Japanese calligraphy. Some Japanese aesthetic principles which are important to Japanese calligraphy are: 不均整 (Fukinsei) "Asymmetry or irregularity" 渋味 (Shibumi) "Understated elegance" 幽玄 (yūgen) “subtlety” or “suggestion” 静寂 (Seijaku) "Tranquility" or an "energized calm" This original artworkContinue reading "美 “beauty”"

関 (seki) “barrier, connection”

Rarely used on its own, this kanji is often found used in combination. Arguably the most famous examples are 関西 (Kansai) and 関東 (Kanto). Since ancient times there has been a road from Tokyo (the current capital) to Kyoto (the former capital). At the mid-way point there used to be a large barrier. This led toContinue reading "関 (seki) “barrier, connection”"

皐月 (sa-tsu-ki) “May”

Like many countries, Japan uses a 12-month calendar. The names are very simple. January is 一月 (ichi-gatsu, literally "Month one"), February is 二月 (ni-gatsu, "Month two"), 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 FrenchContinue reading "皐月 (sa-tsu-ki) “May”"

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. InContinue reading "恩 (on) “favour, gratitude, obligation”"

神 (kami) “god”/“divine spirit”

Often translated as “god”, a Japanese kami is closer to the concept of a spirit.  They are (mostly) not considered to be omniscient nor omnipotent, but rather they influence the human world within a certain capacity. They are believed to be manifestations of musubi, the interconnecting energy of the universe. It is often said thatContinue reading "神 (kami) “god”/“divine spirit”"