The short story of Kanji pictures
The upper part of this figure represents a ‘mountain,’ while the markings below depict a cave from which water rises, forming a river. Together, this shape symbolizes a fertile valley—a flat expanse of land embraced by mountains and blessed with plenty of water.
You can easily spot the shape of a castle in this figure. Evolving over time, this character has come to represent the concepts of ‘tall’ and ‘high’.
Inside this character, you can see a cluster of blocks or boxes. Therefore, it represents the concept of ‘things’ or ‘goods’ in general
This character depicts a bird chirping with its mouth open. On the left side, you can see the symbol for a mouth. Therefore, this character carries the meaning of ‘chirp’ or ‘cry’.
In this character, you can see a sacred fire for ancestors placed upon a human skull. Ancient people believed it was vital to remember what their ancestors had done. This is how this kanji came to mean ‘OLD’ or ‘ANCIENT.’
