起死回生 = recovering from a hopeless situation 起 = to get up 死 = death 回 = revolve 生 = life One of the first calligraphy works I posted online, I like the message of hope in this idiom. This 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.ContinueContinue reading “起死回生 (kishikaisei) recovering from a hopeless situation”
Tag Archives: Japanese words
禅 Zen
“There is no way to enlightenment; enlightenment is the way”. – Thich Nhat Hanh, Zen Master This one-off calligraphy work is available on my Etsy store here
夢 (yumé) “dream”
Do you remember your dreams? According to Japanese tradition, the things you dream about in your first dream of the new year can foretell what’s going to happen in the coming year. It is believed that the 3 most auspicious things to dream of are: Mount Fuji 🗻 A hawk 🦅 An eggplant / aubergineContinueContinue reading “夢 (yumé) “dream””
弥生 (yayoi) “March” (archaic)
Like many countries, Japan uses a 12-month calendar. The names are very simple. January is literally “Month one”, February is “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 French Revolutionary calendar). March is:ContinueContinue reading “弥生 (yayoi) “March” (archaic)”
雛 (hina) “hina doll” 🎎
Hina dolls are ornamental dolls which represent traditional Japanese Imperial court members, such as the Emperor, Empress, and attendants. They’re best known as the decorations for the Japanese Girls’ Day celebration, which took place yesterday. In fact, Girls’ Day is known in Japanese as ひな祭り (Hina Matsuri) “The Hina doll festival”.Families often display large setsContinueContinue reading “雛 (hina) “hina doll” 🎎”
富士 Fuji
The kanji for the tallest and most famous mountain in Japan are suitably distinguished: 富 = riches, wealth, fortune 士 = gentleman, scholar However there is a theory that the above kanji are ateji (kanji which are used to phonetically represent other words) for 不 and 死. 不 = un, not 死 = death InContinueContinue reading “富士 Fuji”
桜梅桃李 (ō-bai-tō-ri) “never compare yourself to others”
It’s blossom season again in Japan, so I’m sharing this blossom-related yo-ji-juku-go (Japanese 4-character idiom). It’s also one of my favourites. It is comprised of 4 beloved Japanese trees which blossom in spring. They are: 桜 = cherry (sakura) 梅 = apricot (ume) 桃 = peach (momo) 李 = plum (sumomo) Each of these treesContinueContinue reading “桜梅桃李 (ō-bai-tō-ri) “never compare yourself to others””
梅 (umé) PLUM BLOSSOM
It’s blossom season in Japan! Cherry blossoms are by far the most famous of Japanese flowers. They’re also the national flower, and appear on the 100 yen coin. However, they’re not the first spring flower to bloom. Plum blossom season usually starts earlier than cherry blossom season, with the first blossoms appearing as early asContinueContinue reading “梅 (umé) PLUM BLOSSOM”
脱俗 (datsuzoku) “break from routine”
脱 = remove, get rid of (this kanji is also used to describe undressing) 俗 = customs, manners 脱俗 refers to a break from one’s daily routine or habit, or freedom from the commonplace. It involves a feeling of transcending the ordinary and conventional. If you take regular timeouts and consciously break well-worn patterns, youContinueContinue reading “脱俗 (datsuzoku) “break from routine””
以心伝心（i-shin-den-shin）“communication without words”
以 = by 心 = heart 伝 = to communicate (actually I’ve used an older, now obsolete version of this kanji) The second and fourth kanji character in this 4-character idiom are both 心, which means “heart”. This idiom refers to heart-to-heart communication; speaking without words. It is often said that the typical Japanese communicationContinueContinue reading “以心伝心（i-shin-den-shin）“communication without words””
Calligraphy by Vicky 