Archive for the ‘Japanese’ Category
The differences between Japanese and Chinese characters
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
The differences between Japanese and Chinese characters
Although kanji (Chinese characters) originally came from China there is a tendency to think that meaning will be the same in Japan and China. In fact there are fewer than 1400 words whose meaning and usage is different even though the kanji is the same. For example the word 教頭(kyotou) means vice principal in Japanese but the same characters in Chinese has the meaning of “head coach”
「庚申」 “Koushin” (1)
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010
「庚申」 “Koushin” (1)
Koushin is one of the twelve horary signs. An ancient Chinese idea of the origins of all the things in the universe. The five elements: wood (木, Moku), fire(火, ka), earth(土, Do), gold(金, Gon), and water(水, Sui). These elements is what makes up what is known as Gogyou (五行). The division of these elements into the: e (兄、エ) and to (弟、ト) is called Jikkan (十干). These are as follows, Kinoe, 甲（キノエ）; Kinoto 乙（キノト）; Hinoe, 丙（ヒノエ）; Hinoto, 丁（ヒノト）; Tsuchinoe, 戊（ツチノエ）; Tsuchinoto, 己（ツチノト）; Kanoe, 庚（カノエ）; Kanoto, 辛（カノト）; Mizunoe, 壬（ミズノエ）; Mizunoto, 癸（ミズノト）. The Jikkan and the twelve horary signs (Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Boar) when combined make up 60 varieties. For example, Kinoe’ne (甲子), 乙丑 (kinoto’ushi), Hinoe’tora (丙寅), etc, etc…. In here, there is one called: Koushin (庚申) or Kanoe’saru. This fits into the calendar such that every 60 days, a Koushin day is observed and this comes around once every 60 years. The celebration of Kanreki, 還暦 (or the celebration of one’s 60th birthday), comes from the meaning of a returning to the beginning in this sexagenary cycle.
