Archive for the 'On Kanji 2' Category

I’m embarking on a massive kanji project, writing essays about each of the Joyo kanji (that is, the characters used in daily life in Japan). When this project goes live (very soon!), readers will be able to download these essays in PDF format for an amazingly low price.

The Joy o’ Kanji website is [...]

Reviewed by Sarah Yuen in the summer 2009 book review issue of this San Francisco–based newspaper
This is no kanji workbook, nor is it a textbook, nor is it simply a games book… It’s a fun and informative read for people who are interested in the origins of language or simply want to learn ways to [...]

Reviewed by Katharine H. Jewett in the summer 2009 issue. Jewett is a French teacher and head of Choate’s languages department. In 2008 she returned to Choate after living with her family in Japan for two years.
When I told friends I was moving to Japan in 2006, two who had previously lived in the Land [...]

Japan Times columnist Mary Sisk Noguchi
1. Mary Sisk Noguchi, a columnist for the Japan Times, said this in her review:
“Crazy for Kanji will provide you with new information about Sino-Japanese characters, not to mention a generous dose of inspiration. If you have ever labored through humdrum kanji-learning aids, you may be pleased to discover that [...]

Did you ever know cows could be so cute?! Photos here are courtesy of Darlene Aldridge, DVM, at Star Creek Ranch in Somerville, Texas. For more of her bovine photography, click here.

Grasshopper.

Shady and Toy.

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Credit: Derek Jensen

Cattails in Indiana.

Credit: Charles Webber @ California Academy of Sciences

Foxtail, or Setaria viridis.

Credit: Brendan Heywood

Horsetails in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.

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For Makizushi Terms

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A Deeper Look at 巻
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Seven years ago, I submitted this story to a magazine, and they accepted
it. I was thrilled, especially because acceptances were rare for me in those days. They even offered to pay me (something that still feels rare now!). And then I never heard from them again. Turns out the magazine folded quite soon after accepting [...]

A shopping plaza in Walnut Creek, California, features a bronze statue of a life-sized, female cougar in stalking position. My husband and I stood there one day, admiring the statue and observing the well-cared-for dogs who wander around the plaza while their owners shop. We watched as a freely roaming golden retriever took note of [...]

An Even Deeper Look