Japan Corner

Kanji for “all,” “whole,” “entire,” “complete”: 全

The Japanese Kanji 全 means “all,” “whole,” “entire,” or “complete.” The Kanji 全 is used in the following contexts: The kun’yomi (Japanese reading) pronunciations of the Kanji 全 are “matta-ku” (まった-く) and “sube-te” (すべ-て), and the on’yomi (Chinese reading) pronunciation of 全 is “zen“ (ゼン). The Kanji 全 commonly appears in Japanese names and is used in 457 names. However,

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Kanji for “Now”: 今 (ima)

The Japanese Kanji for “Now” is 今. The kun’yomi (Japanese reading) pronunciation of the Kanji 今 is “ima” (いま), and the on’yomi (Chinese reading) pronunciations of 今 are “kon” (コン) or “kin” (キン). Apart from the literal meaning of “Now”, the Kanji 今 is also used in the following contexts: The Kanji 今 quite commonly appears in Japanese names and

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Kanji for East: 東 (tō / higashi)

The Japanese Kanji for “East” is 東. The kun’yomi (Japanese reading) pronunciation of the Kanji 東 is “higashi” (ひがし), and the on’yomi (Chinese reading) pronunciation of 東 “tō” (トウ). 東 is used extensively in Japanese for indicating direction (east), and it’s a common component in place names, including 東京 (Tokyo), which means “Eastern Capital.” 東 quite commonly appears in Japanese

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Kanji for “Live,” “Be Born,” “Raw”: 生

The Japanese kanji 生 means Kanji for “Live (life),” “Be Born,” “Raw.” The kun’yomi (Japanese reading) pronunciation of the Kanji 生 is u (う), as in the words umu (うむ) and umareru (うまれる); o (お) as in ou (おう); ha (は), as in hayasu (はやす) and ha-eru (は-える); i (い) as in ikeru (いける), ikiru (いきる) and ikasu (いかす); nama

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Kanji for “After,” “Behind,” “Later”: 後 (ato / ushi-ro)

The kanji 後 means “after,” “behind,” or “later.” The kun’yomi (Japanese reading) pronunciation of the Kanji 後 is ato (あと), meaning “after,” “ushi-ro” (うし-ろ), meaning “behind,” “nochi” (のち), meaning “later,” and “oku-reru” (おく-れる), meaning “be late.” The on’yomi (Chinese reading) pronunciation of 後 is ko (コウ) or go (ゴ). The meaning of the Kanji 後 extends from relating to time

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Kanji for “Between”, “Interval”, “Duration”: 間 (aida / ma)

The kanji 間 means “Between (in-between),” “Interval,” or “duration.” The kun’yomi (Japanese reading) pronunciation of the Kanji 間 is “ma” (ま) or “aida” (あいだ). The on’yomi (Chinese reading) pronunciation of 間 is “ken” (ケン) or “kan” (カン). The meaning of the Kanji 間 extends from relating to time intervals to space or gap between physical objects or places. 間 quite

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Kanji for “Closed” and “To Close”: 閉 (to-jiru / shi-meru)

The Japanese kanji for “Close” (“shut”) or “to close” is 閉. The kun’yomi (Japanese reading) pronunciation of the Kanji 閉 is “to” (と), as in words “to-jiru” (と-じる) “to-zasu” (と-ざす) “shi-meru” (し-める). The on’yomi (Chinese reading) pronunciation of 閉 is “hei” (ヘイ). 閉 is used in 58 Japanese names, and in names, it is pronounced as “he” (ヘ). The Kanji

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Kanji for “Open” and “To Open”: 開 (a-keru / hira-ku)

The Japanese kanji for “Open” is 開. The kun’yomi (Japanese reading) pronunciation of the Kanji 開 is “hira” (ひら), as in words “hira-keru” (ひら-ける) and “hira-ku” (ひら-く) or “a-keru” (あ-ける), and the on’yomi (Chinese reading) pronunciation of 開 is “kai” (カイ). The Kanji 開 is widely used in Japanese names and is a part of 833 names. However, in names,

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Kanji for “Gate”: 門 (kado / mon)

The Japanese kanji for “Gate” is 門. Please note that 門 typically represents larger gates or doorways, often implying a formal entrance that is part of larger structures or complexes. 門 is used to denote gateways, archways, or large doors that lead into compounds, schools, temples, or any significant buildings or enclosed spaces. The imagery of 門 conveys a sense

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Kanji for “Door”: 戸

The Japanese kanji for “Door” is 戸. Please note that The Kanji 戸 (と / to) primarily refers to doors, with a focus on single swinging or sliding doors typical of traditional Japanese architecture, but its use is not exclusively limited to single doors. 戸 symbolizes a door that is part of a household or building, emphasizing the entrance to

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