One of the Japanese kanji symbols I always see, especially on the subway, are the four directions. In kanji, here they are:
北 - きた - kita - north
南 - みなみ - minami - south
東 - ひがし - higashi - east
西 - にし - nishi - west
In kanji, you can often find pictures in the radicals (components of the compounded symbol) to help you remember. I really like these four, because they're rich in imagery. 北 looks like two people back to back to keep warm in the cold (north can be a cold place!). 南 looks like it has the yen symbol inside (¥) - maybe the south is rich?東 has the kanji for tree (木) and the one for sun (日) because the sun rises in the east. This is also the kanji in Tokyo (東京) which means "east capital". 西 looks like it has the kanji for the number "four" in it 四 - why? I'm not sure, any ideas?
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2 comments:
korean pronounce 西=서..it's simiar to 4(사). kk just my idea..hehe, henry i like this writing, especially your idea on 北!
Hmmm ... you could be right?! I love thinking about all the similarities and differences between Korean and Japanese ... it's fascinating. Actually though it wasn't my idea about 北, I saw it on a website and that's why I decided to write this little blog post. But all great art is stolen, right? ;)
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