カテゴリー: N

This character depicts an ax placed right beside a road used for hunting. It signifies a short distance where you barely need to move to reach something, beautifully capturing the exact meaning of ‘near’.

At the top of this figure, you can see three birds resting comfortably on their tree. Just as you can see, this character simply and beautifully means ‘nest’.

This character shows a national border drawn as a large square, defended by a large sword. Inside the square is another symbol, which likely represents the emperor’s palace. Therefore, since ancient times, this character has meant ‘Nation’.

A huge tree was cut down with a sharp ax, leaving behind a fresh stump. This image of a freshly cut tree is why this kanji came to mean ‘NEW’!