What’s In a Name? Part 21

On The Third Day of Fun I present... the newest addition in the first ever series! Since so many kanji have been covered over the years this feature only really gets updated during The Twelve Days of Fun, so I hope that you enjoy the new additions! Tama - 玉 Prefix or Suffix: Prefix Old Meaning: Treasure or Jewel New (Standardized) Meaning: Treasure or Jewel Found In: All Kagai A once popular kanji, its meaning is associated with both the finest jewels and royalty due to its resemblance to the kanji “王,“ meaning “Ruler.“ Examples 玉龍 Tamaryō (Gion Kobu, Kamishichiken, and Miyagawa Cho): “Dragon Treasure” - A special name that brings to mind the treasure orbs that Japanese dragons carry. 玉雄 Tamayū/Tamao (Gion Kobu and Gion Higashi): “Treasured Hero” - Two different pronunciations with one meaning harking back to the karyukai’s common use of masculine geimei. 玉枝 Tamae (Pontocho): “Jewelled Branch” - An interesting geimei as it possibly eludes to the story of Horai’s Gem Branch.  Tama - 珠 Prefix or Suffix: Suffix Old Meaning: Treasure or Jewel New (Standardized) Meaning: Treasure or Jewel Found In: Gion Kobu and Miyagawa Cho This kanji is actually fairly new on the scene as it’s a more out dated version of the other Tama. It’s used primarily for stroke count but also as a way of keeping old kanji alive. Examples 豆珠 Mametama (Gion Kobu): “Jewel or Treasured Bean” - An elegant name that’s quintessentially karyukai by mixing the popular “bean” with a regal kanji to elevate its status. ふく珠 Fukutama (Miyagawa Cho): “Lucky Jewel or Lucky Treasure” - A very auspicious name that also brings to mind cute, round things ^^      Sono - 苑 Prefix or Suffix: Suffix Old Meaning: Garden New (Standardized) Meaning: Garden Found In: Gion Kobu and Miyagawa Cho Another way to write previously covered kanji “園,” it’s also seen much newer use as it’s only been around since 2005. Examples 幸苑 Yukizono (Gion Kobu): “Blessed Garden” - A great geimei with hopes for the owner to grow into a great artist ^^ 富美苑 Fumisono (Miyagawa Cho): “Beautiful Wealthy Garden” - An elegant geimei that brings to mind the imperial gardens.

What’s That Thing? Part 19

I really liked this question to begin with, but the added information from looking a bit deeper just made it so neat!

Anonymous asked: “Hi Myloko! This is a motif identification request. The motif shows interlocking circles. Where the circles interlock there are 4-petal flower diamonds. In the middle of the circles, there's another symmetrical flower. Do you know what it's called? Thanks in advance!” They did provide a link, so let’s start by looking at the image in question:   

Image courtesy of Kotone.105. Before people get confused, this is an image from a few years ago of maiko (now geiko) Kikukame (菊亀) in Nara so, yes, this is an image of a real maiko and not a tourist. With that said, let’s look at the basics here. The main motif here is called Shippō (七宝), which are the Seven Lucky Treasures courtesy of Buddhist sutras (specifically the Life and Lotus sutras). These treasures are: Kin (金) - Gold Gin (銀) - Silver Shinju (真珠) - Pearl/Mother of Pearl Sango (珊瑚) - Coral Hari (玻璃) - Quartz Ruri (瑠璃) - Lapis Lazuli Menō (瑪瑙) - Agate You may not know this, but the most expensive component of a maiko’s outfit is fashioned to display said items: the pocchiri. Whether they’re antiques or made by new jewellers, most pocchiri will feature at least two or more of these treasures! Now, you may be asking, “where are the treasures in this obi?” Well, shippō presents as wedges that are often interlocked into rings in their simplified forms. This form is meant to act as a type of good luck charm that promotes luck and wealth. However, looking at the obi we can see that all of the shippō connect together to form an almost infinite chain of circles. In its infinite chain form shippō embodies the expansion of harmony and peace. But wait, there’s more! Those flowery motifs added in are what compound together to create a pattern with deeper meaning. Inside and outside of the shippō we see stylized flowers that spread out into four points. These are Hanabishi (花菱), which literally mean “Diamond Shaped Flowers” and have been a popular geometric design since the Heian Period. Due to their prolonged use they’ve become symbols of simplistic refinement. It’s no surprise that a four petaled flower is speculated to have a deeper meaning that can vary depending on who you ask. Hanabishi can represent many values, such as the cardinal directions (north, east, south, and west), the four basic elements (earth air, water, and fire), and the four seasons (spring, summer, autumn, and winter).  Together, shippō and hanabishi form an entirely new motif known as Hana Wachigai (花輪違), which means “Interlocking Flower Rings.” It brings together all of the symbolism of the shippō and hanabishi to create an almost ethereal combination ^^!