カテゴリー: B

This kanji is a stylized representation of a bull’s face. In the modern kanji, only one horn is visible.

Words & Phrases

• 牛乳（gyu-nyu）:cow milk
• 鶏口となるも牛後となる勿れ（keikou tonarumo,gyugo tonarunakare）:Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a cow.

This kanji consists of two parts: the ‘grass’ radical on top, and the kanji for ‘thunderstorm’ below. So, why does this kanji mean ‘bud’? It is said that the flash of a thunderstorm resembles a flower bud bursting with bright light.

The left side of this kanji shows a large fire, and the right side shows pottery being baked. Because of this, the kanji means ‘to bake’ or ‘to burn’.

Words ＆Phrases

• 焼酎（shochu）:Shochu is a Japanese distilled liquor made from ingredients such as sweet potatoes, barley, buckwheat, or sake lees.

This Kanji character beautifully mimics a scene from ancient daily life.

The lines visually depict a cluster of gathered firewood being tightly tied together with a rope. Therefore, this character directly holds the meaning “to bundle,” “to tie together,” or “a bunch.” It is a beautiful, rustic snapshot of history frozen inside a single word.

Words ＆Phrases

• 束の間（tsukanoma）:fleeting moment

True to its visual form, this character directly symbolizes a ‘bow.’ In a single word, it embodies absolute ‘strength.’ Because of this intense energy, this shape is frequently used as a foundational component to describe the power and force of various things.

Words ＆ Phrases

• 弓矢（yumiya）:bow and arrow

This character represents ‘bamboo,’ as you might already know. The shape is simply the plant itself!.

Words & Phrases

• 竹馬の友（Chikuba no tomo）:A close childhood friend with whom one shared youth and played together, literally referencing the days of riding bamboo stilts.

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.

Words & Phrases

• 昭和（Showa）:Shōwa; the Japanese era name corresponding to the reign of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito), spanning from December 25, 1926, to January 7, 1989.

This character carries the meaning of ‘believe.’ On the left side of this figure, you can see the symbol for a person, and on the right, someone speaking with their mouth open. Therefore, it expresses the beautiful idea that a person’s words are truly worth believing!

Words & Phrases

• 信義（shingi）:Fulfilling promises faithfully and conscientiously doing what one ought to do as a human being; acting with fidelity and integrity.
• 信頼（shinrai）:Entrusting a task, matter, or responsibility to someone with full faith and confidence in them.

This kanji consists of two parts. The top radical represents two people sitting back-to-back, which originally meant “back.” Later, it came to mean “north” because ancient Chinese emperors always faced south when seated, putting their backs to the north. To restore and clarify the original meaning, the radical for “muscle” or “body” was added to the bottom, creating the kanji that means “back.”

Words & Phrases

• 背景（haikei):background
• 背く（somuku）:to disobey,to go against