Japanese culture | KansaiChick

The Meaning of the Japanese Kanji on the Haikyu!! Sweatshirt

11/27/2019Japanese Kanji BlogNo Comments

My favorite volleyball anime show "Haikyu!!" is now available on Netflix! And I got a question about the symbol in the show. I found this symbol on the "Haikyu!!" sweatshirt. What does it mean? Thank you for your question! (*´▽｀*)☆ That's is from the team banner of Karasuno high school! The Meanings of Karasuno's Team Slogan In Japan, sport teams often own this kind of banner to cheer the team. Usually, volleyball teams hang those banners on the fence of the second floor in the gymnasium, which almost all schools have. I see "烏野高校男子バレーボール部OB会" in the bottom right corner. That means, team graduates donated this banner. The banner says 飛べ(tobe).…

Meanings of Kanji on the Katana Sword 2

10/26/2019Japanese Kanji BlogNo Comments

Hello again Kanji Fans! I received another interesting question from a follower! It's about a Samurai sword! I bought this short sword and I see some letters on the blade. What do they mean? Woooo, you got a fancy one. According to the ratio, I can tell it's a Tantou (短刀). Tantou is a short katana sword with the less than 30 cm (about 1 foot) blade. In Japan, Katana swords bust be sold with a certificate describing what it is. But the owner says this one came with nothing. Let me take a close look. (@_@) Wow, to be honest, I have no idea what it says. I can't…

What Does This Japanese Kanji on My Shirt Mean?

10/19/2019Japanese Kanji BlogNo Comments

I love Japanese kanji shirts! It's so hard to find what I like though. Well, that's why I'm making my own. Today, I'll answer to a question from a kanji shirt owner! What does this kanji mean? It's on my shirt. Thank you for the question and photo! Yes! I can read it "一匹狼 (Ippiki-ookami)". It's a Japanese idiom. People usually translate this "Lone Wolf". The first kanji "一" means "One". The second one "匹" is the one of special letters to count creature. Then, the 3rd kanji "狼" is "Wolf". Wolves usually act in groups, and they are stronger that way. So, we call the strong person who doesn't…

The Japanese Kanji on the forehead of Aggretsuko

09/30/2019Japanese Kanji BlogNo Comments

Aggretsuko is a Japanese anime show based on the character from Sanrio that is known for "Hello Kitty" and things. It's available on Netflix! Japanese title is アグレッシブ烈子 which means "Aggressive Retsuko". The main character Retsuko is a red panda who is working at an office. She is a cute ordinally girl but the "typical" stressful work/life environment drives her crazy. To kill her stress, she goes to Karaoke by herself and sing death metal...like this. lol Meaning of Kanji on the Forehead of "Aggretsuko" As you can see, one Japanese Kanji appears on her forehead when she sings. Japanese people are very used to see a Kanji on forehead…

Japanese Kanji T-Shirt 無敵 Invincible

09/10/2019Japanese Kanji T-shirtNo Comments

Wearing a Kanji T-Shirt is cool. But if you understand the authentic information about what you wear, you can impress everyone. On this page, you can make sure this Kanji T-Shirt is right for you. Table of Contents Basic Info about This Kanji Who Should be Wearing It Examples of Qualification Designs Available 無敵 Invincible Kanji T-Shirt: Basic Info Japanese Kanji: 無敵 Pronunciation: muteki Spelling Variety: muteki Meaning: Invincible, Unrivaled, Matchless Category: Japanese Kanji for Fun Image of this Kanji Word: Tough, Manly, Confident, Pride, Cool, and (on T-Shirt)Funny The Japanese kanji word "無敵" means "Invincible". The first kanji "無" contains the meaning "Nothing / None" and the second kanji "敵" means…

Meanings of Kanji on Souvenir Short Kimono

08/16/2019Japanese Kanji BlogNo Comments

Hello Kanji Fans! Today, I want to share an interesting question from a follower! Have you ever seen this short kimono? I heard this kanji says “No 1” but what does that mean? It's a very popular souvenir from Japan and Japanese people call this kind of short kimono "happi (半被)" or "hanten (半纏)" depending on its shape. So, why does it say "一番"?? Actually, this design is based on Firefighters culture in Edo era! KansaiChick is here for help. (*'▽')/ That Kanji on the Souvenir Kimono As this follower heard from somebody, it says "一番 (ichiban)" which means "No.1" or "First". The top character "一 (ichi)" is "One". And…

What are the common sounds in the end of Japanese first names?

06/30/2019Japanese Kanji BlogNo Comments

Do you want to give your avatar a Japanese name? How do you know what name is natural in Japanese?? This info might help you! (*´▽｀*)/ What sounds are common at the end of Japanese boy's and girl's names? Thank you for the question...! Yes. There are common 止め字 (tomeji: End Character) for Japanese name. And they tend to differ by boy's names and girl's names. (Unisex names exist but there are not many: Akira, Makoto, etc. They don't have common tomeji. Basically we would have to accept and memorise that "Oh, this name could be unisex!", whenever we met the person who has the unisex name.) Common Sounds of…

Which kanji of “Katsuki” should I choose?

06/19/2019Japanese Kanji Blog1 Comment

Japanese people usually give their babies Kanji names. They think about the child and his or her future and choose Kanji carefully. Even several Kanji that can be pronounced the exactly same, every single Kanji contains different meanings. Today, I'd like to share an interesting question from a follower. (*'▽')/ Which kanji of "Katsuki" gives it the meaning "Victory"? I see. She or he wants to have a handle name "Katsuki" in Knaji. OK, I can help! Which kanji does mean "Victory"? Victory is "勝利 (shouri)" in Japanese kanji idiom. You also can pronounce this word as Japanese boy's name "勝利 (Katsutoshi)". However, the name "Katsuki" has already picked. Well,…

Meanings of Kanji on the Katana Sword

05/30/2019Japanese Kanji BlogNo Comments

Hello Kanji Fans! Today, I want to share a very interesting question from a follower! It's a historian's job! I bought this sword and I see some kanji on the blade. What does it mean? Wow, you got a Katana sword! Thank you for the pictures! Let me see...OK, you want to know what this means. Leave it to me! KansaiChick is here for help. (*'▽')/ First of all, Japanese people call this 銘(mei). I think you might see something on the same spot of your kitchen knife. Today some makers engrave or print their brand name and stuff there. Ancient Japanese blacksmiths did that too. Let's see what this one…

The Secret of “Rilakkuma and Kaoru”

05/24/2019Japanese Kanji BlogNo Comments

Did you watch the new show "Rilakkuma and Kaoru" on Netflix? It's so cute! But I bet that many viewers, living outside of Japan, have no clue when it comes to understanding the culture and the history behind the show. So, KansaiChick is here for help! (*'▽')/ What is Rilakkuma? The name "Rilakkuma" was born as the combination of 2 words "Relax" and "Kuma (It means Bear in Japanese)". Yes, Rilakkuma is a relaxing bear. When this character appeared in the accessory industry in Japan long time ago, the one-picture-mascot accessory items were the main thing, And They explained a lot about him. Obviously the concept was "somebody is wearing…