A Geek in Japan

following table is usually found in beginning Japanese language textbooks. You can see here the original pictorial forms for kanji.

= Shinto = The “way” of the gods = Shinto

= Dokyo = The “way” of faith = Taoism

= Dotoku = The “way” of virtue = Ethics

= Dori = The “way” of logic = Reason

= Akudo = The “way” of evil = Bad, evil

= Doraku = The “way” of comfort = Entertainment

= Doro = Road

= Daido = Avenue

= Dojo = The place of the “way” = Training hall

= Chado = The “way” of tea = Tea ceremony

= Bushido = The “way” of the warrior

= Kendo = The “way” of the sword

= Kyudo = The “way” of the bow = Archery

= Kado = The “way” of the flower = Flower arrangement/ikebana

= Aikido = The “way” of the union of spirit and mind

= Judo = The “way” of flexibility

= Tae kwon do = The “way” of stamping and punching (Korean)

“Nou aru taka wa tsune wo kakusu”–Talented eagles hide their claws.

There are more than 40,000 kanji, but the Japanese are required to know a list of “only” 2,136 official kanji, known as the Joyo Kanji.

(The Tale of Genji) as its greatest achievement. This classic work is to Japanese what Shakespeare’s opus is to

Japanese is spoken by 130 million people all over the planet, and it’s the eighth most-spoken language in the world. Although it’s used mainly in Japan, its usage extends to Hawaii, Guam, Palau, Taiwan, and certain areas in Brazil, where there are significant Japanese communities.

smaller dark-colored gate

to look at the entrance. You will almost always find a large red wooden gate marking the entrance to sacred

belongs to.

Jinja is the Japanese word that designates Shinto shrines

Meiji Shrine in Tokyo