山 looks like mountain!

The blow 5 kanji made from their shapes.
Click the picure to expand.
Can you guess which kanji describes which picture?

There is the answer in the blow explanations.



These are simple, basic and important kanji.
Japanese people learn them for first year of elementary school.
These kanji almost look like pictures!
Don’t you think so?

By the way, the above kanji, especially 山, 川 and 田 are often used in Japanese family names because a lot of Japanese people decided their family name depend on where they lived.
Do you have any Japanese friends with these kanji?

These are example words including the above kanji.

山 mountain
山（yama）：mountain
富士山（fujisan）：Mt.Fuji
火山（kazan）：volcano

田 field
田んぼ（tanbo）：rice field
田畑（tahata）：field
田植え（taue）：rice planting

口 mouth
口（kuchi）：mouth
入り口（iriguchi）：entrance
口づけ（kuchizuke）：kiss

門 gate
門（mon）：gate
門限（mongen）：curfew
門番（monban）：doorkeeper, gatekeeper

川 river
川（kawa）：river
川原（kawara）：riverbank, river side
ナイル川（nairu gawa）：Nile river

There are a lot of kanji made from the shape.
But some of them are too difficult (actually almost impossible!) to tell the meaning from the kanji.

老 means "old"
This kanji (should) look like old person who cannot stand straight.

肉 means "meat"
This kanji (should) look like meat with nerve.

卵 means "egg"
This kanji (should) look like eggs of fish or frog.

Hmm... what do you think!?

Today's kanji : 包

Today's kanji is 包.

The blue part describes "body".
The red part describes "unborn baby".

What does the body do for the unborn baby?

Can you guess the meaning?

See the comments page for the answer!

My parents are hoping…

In Japan, when parents give name for their child, they often care about the meaning of kanji which they use in the name.

As you may know, each kanji has meaning.

For example, my name Akiko is “明子” in kanji.
明 means “bright” and 子 means “child” also 子 is often used in girl’s name.
My parents hoped that I became a bright child.
My mum’s name is Sachiko, “幸子” in kanji.
幸 is happy and 子 is child, I guess my grandparents hoped that my mum became a happy child.

There are some popular Japanese names in the following list.

Girl’s name

Yuki 有紀　有(exist) ＋ 紀(methodical)
Hope she becomes a person with methodical idea

Natsuko 夏子　夏(summer) ＋ 子(child)
She was born in August.

Kimie 喜美恵　喜(glad) ＋ 美(beautiful) ＋ 恵(bless)
Hope she is always glad, beautiful and blessed.
(What an ambitious name!!)

Youko 陽子　陽(sun) ＋ 子(child)
Hope she becomes a cheerful child like sun.


Boy’s name

Ken 健　健(healthy)
Hope he is always healthy.

Tetsuya 哲也　哲(smart) ＋ 也(“yes, it’s true.”)
Hope he becomes a 100% smart person.

Jiro 次郎　次(next, second) ＋ 郎(boy)
He is their second son.

Ryoichi 良一　良(good) ＋ 一(one, best, first)
Hope he becomes the best boy in the world!

Do you know any people having the above name?
Do you think the name is suitable for the person?

How do parents decide the names for their children in your country?