Kanji characters can have deep significance

Japan has been using Chinese characters since they were imported from Sui Dynasty China in the 6th century. Although the Japanese language did not quite fit with Chinese writing, over the centuries, they adapted and transformed it to suit their needs.

When we look into Chinese characters, called kanji in Japanese, we find they can conjure up both delightful images and deep meaning.

Let’s look at a few kanji that express life lessons. The first two were shared with me by my elderly Japanese friend.

Ningen

These kanjis are read as ningen which means human being.

The first kanji means person. The second means interval or relationship. When combined, they illustrate that in order to be human, we need relationships and interactions with others.

“No man is an island.” — John Donne

Seikatsu

These kanji, read seikatsu, mean living or one’s daily existence. The first kanji means life. The second means action or vigor. To truly live, we must be active.

Ninja

The character for ninja 忍 is written with a blade, 刃, over the character for heart or spirit, 心. Ninjas are legendary for their unrivaled stealth and skill. If we carry the strength of a katana in our hearts, we, like ninjas, can overcome hardships with grace and skill.

Speaking of hardship…

Happiness vs. Hardship

The kanji on the left is tsurai, meaning bitter hardship. The kanji on the right is saiwai meaning happiness. As you can see, adding the one line pictured in the middle changes hardship to happiness.

When people experience hard times, perhaps a change as tiny as one little line is all that separates them from joy.

Let us never underestimate the power of a tiny act of kindness.

References:

allworddic.com, my dear friend Mori-san.

The post 4 Kanji and Their Hidden Meanings first appeared on More Than Tokyo and is written by Diane Tincher.

Elderly Japanese Woman Shares Unexpected Perspective

One day some years ago, I was sitting next to Sumiko after class at the Senior’s Day Care center where I have been teaching English for 26 years. Between bites of matcha pudding and sips of tea, she shared with me a little about her life.

Sumiko was born in Taiwan during the days of Japanese occupation in the early 20th century.

“I went to an all girls’ school in Taiwan. We were not allowed to mingle with boys. That was improper. When I came of age, I was married to a boy whose family was also from Kagoshima.”

“Did you have to marry someone from Kagoshima?” I asked.

“Yes, that was the way it was done in those days. We didn’t marry people from other prefectures. Our parents arranged the marriage. I had never even seen my husband before our wedding day.

“When I was 26, we moved to Osaka. I made uniforms in a garment factory before and during the war. My husband was sent to the war.”

She wasn’t happy with the government in those days. She hated its militarism, but like everyone else, she kept quiet.

There was very little food. Any metal she had, even cooking pots, was given to the military to be made into machines of war. Life was hard. Many died of starvation.

Like all the common people, Sumiko rejoiced when the war ended. “It was good we lost the war,” she said, echoing the words I have heard many times from those of her generation. “If we hadn’t lost, we would have all starved.”

At the end of 1945, Sumiko’s husband returned and they moved to Kagoshima, stepping foot for the first time in their ancestral city, now completely flattened by fire.

“We could see from one end of the city to the other,” she told me.

Sumiko endured the hardships of building a home and a life from the ashes of war while subsisting for months on nothing but sweet potatoes. She fought through the tough times, raised her family, and has survived into old age.

Now, in her 90’s, Sumiko says, “I’m enjoying the happiest days of my life. I live off my pension. I don’t need work or bother my kids for money. I am free. I can do whatever I want each day.”

“The happiest days,” she repeated, sighing contentedly.

See also Gratitude Never Grows Old.

The post “The Happiest Days of My Life” first appeared on More Than Tokyo and is written by Diane Tincher.