The short story of Kanji pictures
Hakujuji is a traditional confectionery and coffee shop that has been a landmark of Kunitachi City since 1955. It is such an iconic symbol of the city that it has appeared in films like “Summer blooms” and “Wolf Children” just as it is.
| 名称 | 洋菓子店 白十字 |
| 所在地 | 東京都 国立市中１-９-４３ くにたちさくらビル１階 |
| HomePage | https://sakuracake.jp/ |
This kanji depicts a baby inside a house under a roof. Originally, it meant ‘to raise or nurture a child.’ By extension, it came to mean the name given to a child, and eventually came to refer to written characters or ‘letters’ as we know them today.
The character is originally a mirror image of the kanji“后” (kou)that represents a person carefully listening to the words of their predecessor.
While “后(kou)” implies internal succession, this kanji means a successor who handles external affairs and public administration.Therefore, it came to mean “to govern,” “to manage,” or “an official in charge.”
この漢字は、先代の言葉を注意深く聞く姿を表した「后（こう）」という文字を左右反転させた形です。「后」が内側の継承を表すのに対し、「司」は外の政務や公の仕事を取り仕切る後継者を表します。そのため「治める・管理する・役人（つかさ）」という意味になりました。
The Kanji originally represented a person carefully listening to the words of their predecessor.From this visual origin, its meaning evolved into “the successor who carries on the work of the founding ruler.“Later, this concept of a crucial royal successor led to its modern meaning of “queen” or “empress.”
“Baragaki: Unbroken Samurai” (Moeyo Ken)
Written by Ryotaro Shiba, this famous historical novel follows Toshizo Hijikata, vice-commander of the Shinsengumi. The story actually begins right around here, as a young Toshizo travels from Ishida Village through Yaho to a night festival in Fuchu, looking to meet girls!
Written by Haruki Murakami in 1999, this romantic fantasy story begins right here in Kunitachi City, travels all the way to Greece in Europe, and suddenly leaves readers with an unforgettable mystery. It is such a page-turner that you will completely lose track of time.
This kanji consists of two parts: the radical for ‘rain’ at the top, and ‘feathers’ below. Therefore, this kanji means ‘snow’—depicting rain that freezes and falls softly through the air like fluffy feathers.
Directed by Mamoru Hosoda in 2012, this animated film received numerous domestic and international awards in countries such as Belgium, Spain, and China.
The movie is a heartwarming fantasy about the love between a human woman and a werewolf, as well as the growth of their children—their independence and the journeys they take to find their own paths in life.
This unforgettable story begins right here in Kunitachi City, with a fateful encounter between a young woman and a wolf-man!
This kanji depicts a fire burning strongly, with one “fire” radical stacked on top of another. As you can imagine, this kanji means “flame.”
「火」という文字を上下に2つ重ねて、火が勢いよくゴウゴウと燃え盛っている様子を描いた漢字です。想像通りの熱く激しい「ほのお（火炎）」を意味します。
This kanji depicts an arm gathering something around a fire. This is why the kanji means “ash.”
火の燃えがらの周りで、手を使って何かをかき集めている様子を描いた漢字です。火が燃え尽きた後に残るもの、つまり「灰（はい）」を意味します。