THE HEART OF KANJI: Selfish Desires

ji ko yoku 自(ji) means “own.” This character comes from the shape of a person’s nose.  己 (ko or onore) means “self.” This character represents a person who is bending down. 欲 (yoku) means “desire” and consists of two parts; the left side is the shape of a valley and the right side is a […]

THE HEART OF KANJI: The Patient Heart of a Ninja

The kanji character 忍 (nin or shinobu) means “patience.” This character is made of two parts. The top is  刃 (yaiba), which means “sword or knife.” The bottom is 心 (kokoro), which means “spiritual or physical heart.” Nin is when someone attacks you with a sword and almost kills you by missing your heart, but you remain patient […]