The short story of Kanji pictures
The origin of this character is quite fascinating. It depicts two people walking toward the left, right in front of a tall, grand pole bearing a large flag. In ancient times, people on a journey would travel exactly like this—marching together under a massive flag.
On the left side of this figure, you can see a circle representing the sun. On the right, a hand is beckoning, paired with an open mouth that seems to call out, ‘Come with me, the sun!’ Therefore, this character beautifully captures the idea of bringing that light inside, meaning a true ‘brightness’ or ‘clarity’ in one’s heart.
This character describes a hand spread wide to measure something. Specifically, the span from a person’s thumb to their index finger was used as a standard baseline, representing a size of about 30 centimeters.
This character describes the rising sun emerging just above the horizon. Because it captures the very beginning of a new day, it is traditionally used to represent the first day of the new year.
The character for the sun is remarkably simple. As you can see, it is represented by nothing more than a basic round mark.
Can you tell what this character means at a first glance? On the left side, you can find a generous amount of food served on a tall tray, and on the right, a person sitting down—completely full. Yes, this character expresses the exact meaning of ‘already enough’.
This character depicts a cloud with a thunderbolt striking one of the clay pods devoted to God. Ancient people prayed and sought to hear divine messages through sacred ceremonies like this, which is why it now carries the meaning of ‘spiritual’.
