“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”…ContinueContinue reading “無常 (mujō) “impermanence””
Tag Archives: Japanese language
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 leaveContinueContinue reading “心 (kokoro) “heart/mind””
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 isContinueContinue 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.
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 artworkContinueContinue 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 toContinueContinue reading “関 (seki) “barrier, connection””
栄 “prosperity”
This original artwork is available from my Etsy site
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 FrenchContinueContinue 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. InContinueContinue reading “恩 (on) “favour, gratitude, obligation””
Calligraphy by Vicky 