Japanese kanji are represented as pictograms which are based on the shape of objects. If you feel even slightly disheartened that you will have to memorize each one of them, then do not worry. Just as the English language learning system is based on alphabets (A, B, C, etc.) which are a set of characters that represent the phonemic structure of the language; similarly, Kanji learning has about 250 basic and radical characters. Remember that you can combine these kanji or break them in order to easily read, write and understand them.
How must one learn the basic characters?
This book is written to help you understand the origin and usage of each character. Now you can recall instead of memorizing. To remember means strengthening the synapses that connect your brain cells. Synapses can be strengthened by stimulating the five senses - smell, hearing, taste, vision, and touch. When multiple senses are used together, the memory lasts longer. Better results can be achieved when such stimuli are coupled with unforced repetition. One good way of strengthening the synapses is to repeat the same stimulation. This book expands on the basic character by adding parts that give new meaning in a radical form. This means you are exposed to the same basic character multiple times.
Learning that can be used immediately
By learning how these kanji came to be, you can also learn how adding a certain component changes the meaning. For example, the character "色 [しょく·しき]" meaning ‘color’ depicts a person(⺈) on top of another person(巴) in the act of sexual intercourse, which causes one to flush with excitement. Once you know that origin, you can understand why "色" also means ‘lust.’
Park Kun Ho
The co-author of this book PARK, Kun-Ho, is a professional who was born in Korea but studied in Japan. When he returned to Korea, he worked as a resident employee for a Japanese company and began teaching. He taught Japanese to executives of conglomerates and authored various Japanese textbooks. He experienced his students having difficulties in learning Chinese characters (kanji) and researched how to learn Chinese characters easily. He patented his Chinese character learning text in 2013, in which he described the creation principles of Chinese characters in a chart. He wrote over 30 books on Chinese characters, including “Bunhaejoripsik Hanja (Disassembly and Assembly of Chinese Characters)” and “Funfun Hanja (Fun Fun Chinese Characters).”
Kong Kyung Yong
The co-author of this book is KONG, Kyung-Yong. Although he was born in Korea, he is the 78th descendant of Confucius, and due to his family, he was familiar with Chinese characters since his youth. He was a bookworm who perused the Britannica Encyclopedia when he was just a boy. He conceived of writing a book with the idea that Chinese characters with form and sound can be easily learned if meanings are given to the sounds. His experience reading encyclopedias and countless books helped him assign scientific or social meanings to the sounds. He is a professional publisher active in the publication field, participating in diverse activities such as writing, editing, and consulting governmental agencies or universities.
Introduction 06
User Guide 08
People 12
Human body 14
Head 亠1, 京2, 高3, 頁4, 彡5
Face 自6, 目7, 直8, 見9, 艮10, 良11, 口12, 可13, 奇14, 古15, 囗16, 言17, 音18, 欠19, 舌 20, 齒21, 耳22
Body 身23, 骨24, 歹25, 心26,忄27
Hand 手28, 爪29, 又30, 史31, ⺕32, 聿33, 34, 寸35, 付36, 寺37, 廾38, 其39, 勹40, 勿 41, 支42, 攵43
Foot 止44, 正45, 夂46, 舛47, 彳48, 辶49, 廴50
Person 110
"人" 人51, 亻52, 入53, 亼54, 㑒55, ⺈56, 免57, 儿58, 兄59
"大" 大60, 夭61, 夬62, 尢63, 立64
Shape of a person 疒65, 己66, 乙67, 也68, 卩/㔾69, 卬70, 令71, 匕72, 北73, 尸74
Title 156
Inherited 巳75, 厶76, 子77, 女78, 母79, 氏80, 耂81, 者82
Social 辛83, 士84, 臣85, 王86
Life 180
War 182
Weapons 弓87, 弋88, 矢89, 至90, 戈91, 戊92, 殳93, 斤94, 刀95, 干96 Transportation 車97, 舟98
Ceremonies 示99, 卜100
Necessities of life 210
Clothes 衣101, 哀102a, 巾103, 糸104, 文105, 白106, 青107, 黄108
Food 食109, 米110, 禾111, 豆112
Shelter 宀113, 广114, 門115, 阝116, 厂117, 冂118, 里119
Agriculture 248
Land 土120, 圭121, 田122, 苗123, 火124
Tools 力125, 方126, 㫃127
Containers 斗128, 用129, 甫129c, 冖131, 覀132, 酉133
Nature 276
Animals 278
Land animals 羊134, 犬135, 豕136, 牛137, 馬138
Other animals 鳥139, 隹140, 羽141, 釆142, 虫143, 魚144, 貝145, 网146, 鼎 147, 辰148
Animal by-products 皮149, 角150, 肉151, 152
Natural scenery 314
山153, 金154, 工155, 水156, 氵157, 气158, 雨159, 冫160, 艹161, 生162, 丰163, 木164, 本165, 林166, 東167, 几168, 竹169
Heavenly bodies 348
日170, 昔171, 月172
Miscellaneous 354
一173, 且174, 丁175, 二176, 八177, 十178, 亅179, 乍180, 丶181, 小182
A concluding remark 372
On-Kun pronunciation index 375
Meaning index 388
Radical index 397
Pattern index 406