Japanese martial arts practitioners often give a loud quick shout as they perform an attacking move. This shout is a 気合 (ki-ai), often translated as “meeting of spirit”. This ki is the ki in aikido, qigong, and reiki. Ki is a central principle in traditional Chinese medicine and Eastern martial arts. It has been translatedContinueContinue reading “気 (ki) “spirit”, “energy””
Tag Archives: Japan
鏡花水月 (kyo-ka-sui-getsu) “untouchable beauty”
The kanji in this 4-character idiom are: 鏡 = mirror 花 = flower 水 = water 月 = moon It evokes the image of the full moon reflected in water, or a flower reflected in a mirror – something beautiful but out of reach. I chose this idiom to write today because it contains theContinueContinue reading “鏡花水月 (kyo-ka-sui-getsu) “untouchable beauty””
月 (tsu-ki) “moon”
This past weekend was Moon Viewing Day (Night?) in Japan. The first full moon in September is considered particularly clear and beautiful, much like the idea of a “harvest moon”. In Japan, Moon Viewing Day is celebrated by eating white dumplings, and in China it is celebrated by eating special mooncakes, which contain a duck egg yolk.
無心 (mu-shin) “no-mind”
A state of mind when you are free from disturbing and intrusive thoughts. You are focussed wholly on the action you are performing at this moment. You are free to act and react based on inner-wisdom and instinct, without being influenced by desires and assumptions. Zen Buddhist practitioners seek to achieve this state of mind.ContinueContinue reading “無心 (mu-shin) “no-mind””
寿 (Kotobuki) “congratulations” or “long life”
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 forContinueContinue reading “寿 (Kotobuki) “congratulations” or “long life””
絆 (ki-zu-na) “bonds”
絆 can refer to any kind of “bond”, but it usually refers to the “bonds” that structure human relationships. Although the word “bond” sounds inflexible and unforgiving, in Japanese it usually has a positive nuance when used to describe human relationships. Even if the nature of a human relationship leads to a reduction in one’sContinueContinue reading “絆 (ki-zu-na) “bonds””
和 (wa) “peace”
This kanji also means “Japanese style” (opposed to “Western style”) as it is an ancient name for Japan. It can also be pronounced “Yamato”.
あおいうみ、さかなつり
(aoi umi, sakana tsuri) “blue sea, catching fish” You might notice that the above characters are a different style to the characters I usually write. Usually I write calligraphy in kanji, which is a logographic script in which each complex character has a meaning. The above is in hiragana, which is a syllabary – eachContinueContinue reading “あおいうみ、さかなつり”
仁 (jin) “benevolence”
One of the 7 virtues of bushido. “Jin” is also one of the most fundamental virtues of Confucianism (from which much of traditional Japanese morality was based), which could be defined as to treat each other with tenderness; to love each other. Samurai were expected to be benevolent. However, this was not the blind benevolenceContinueContinue reading “仁 (jin) “benevolence””
晴耕雨読 (sei-kō-u-doku) “fine weather, labour, rain, read”
This is a “yo-ji-juku-go” (Japanese 4-character idiom), which describes how to live a peaceful yet productive life: work when it’s sunny, and rest when it rains. Doing everything in its proper season.
Calligraphy by Vicky 