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Many bonsai
enthusiasts are introduced to Japanese Kanji (pictograms)
in bonsai publications where the BONSAI Kanji is often printed.
The bonsai kanji is therefore relatively well known as representing
“tray(bon-) planting(sai).
Tray (Bon) |
Planting (Sai) |
Kanji
In simple terms, most kanji are stylised derivatives of an
older, picture based Chinese language. Versions of it are
in common use throughout much of the Far East including China,
Japan, Korea and Vietnam, having been exported there during
the Chinese Imperialist expansions many centuries ago.
There are 2 other
forms of pictogram writing in Japan that augment the Kanji
system - Hiragana and Katakana (both derived from Kanji) -
that express complex and foreign words as well as a system
based on the English/Roman alphabet. eg. Honda, Suzuki, Sanyo.
You would need to know about 3000 kanji and some of the other
2 scripts just to read a Japanese newspaper; compare this
to the mere 1000 words that we need to be know to read most
English publications.
Each kanji can be one, or any number, of a defined set of
over 214 basic “radicals“ or building blocks.
Each with a specific meaning (the Bushu).
These basic radicals represent items such as people, simple
concepts such as big or small, common animals, domestic and
agricultural tools, weapons, numbers, food items, landscape
features and weather conditions.
You only have to think of Egyptian hieroglyphics or the well-known
primitive man cave paintings to get a feel for how they developed.
Kanji are in fact the sort of picture items that would be
needed by people with under developed language skills in order
to make themselves understood, to communicate across language
barriers or leave messages.
In very general terms, each kanji has a name and also a pronunciation
or phonetic sound that is entirely different. In most cases
there are several possible pronunciations for each kanji -
some based on Japanese (the “Kun” reading) and
some on the original Chinese ( the “On “ reading).
Each kanji can have more than one meaning. Conversely, there
are different kanji meaning the same thing and the same phonetic
sound can apply to more than one kanji.
These
building blocks or radicals can be used as kanji on their
own or combined to create a kanji expressing a word, a feeling
or an idea.
| This chart shows how Kanji can often relate to each other and how one kanji (hito) can slowly alter into several others. | ||
HITO |
Two legged creature = person (Bushu No. 9) |
|
FU |
This one becomes man or husband as it has arms and what was originally a hat – now a stylised crosspiece near the top. (Bushu Nos. 7, 9 & 37 combined as a kanji) |
originally? |
TEN |
This becomes heavens or sky as the “hat” line has moved on top indicating something over your head/ higher than/ above man? (Bushu Nos. 1 & 9 combined as a kanji). |
|
TSUCHI |
Remove the two legs and move a line below and this becomes earth or ground. i.e. a flat place with an object standing on its surface (Bushu No. 32). Some readings have this as a clod of clay on the ground originally. So a high line is “heaven” and a low line is “earth” |
|
KI |
And this one becomes tree (or wood) as it is growing partly above but mainly below the earth line. (Bushu No. 75).Some readings say “Ki” is a tree with sweeping branches. |
|
ONNA |
And to perhaps answer a question – this one is woman. Same 2 legs and arms as man, but is she pregnant I wonder? (Bushu No. 38) Some readings say this is a kneeling woman with outstretched arms. |
|
As an illustration of how basic and simple combinations can be, take a look at the following Kanji example.
MORI |
3
trees (Ki) in a group or “lots of wood”
Meaning: Forest |
As previously stated, much of the original picture (Kanji) language has become very stylised due to writing techniques and artistic license rather like medieval illuminated script. However, hopefully it will be a little clearer when we look at some more examples.
Some kanji are quite obvious with just a little imagination
- the stick man and the very “tree-like” tree
and forest kanji in the charts above are prime examples.
Other Kanji combine
images to convey more complex ideas like the examples below.
AME |
1. This is the kanji for rain and consists of the radical for a hanging scroll with water droplets. The scroll is hanging from a “heaven” line so we have the sense of a wet in the sky. |
SARA |
3. This is the kanji for dish that appears as a radical in the Bonsai kanji. It Looks like a line of plates in a rack. |
KOTOBA |
2. This is the kanji for “speech” and is a stylised mouth (the bottom rectangle) with sound waves radiating out of it. We’ve all seen similar images in cartoons,diagrams and animations |
CHI |
4. This is the kanji for blood. I particularly like this one.As you will see later it represents a broken plate(s) and who hasn’t cut themselves in a domestic accident? |
The brief excursion I have taken into the Bonsai kanji and the various radicals (Bushu) that are employed, reveal potentially much more, including I believe, what may be double meanings and puns.
The Bonsai Kanji
A pal of mine, Richard Fish, was told the following about the Bonsai Kanji by his Japanese teacher and put some of these ideas forward on an internet bonsai discussion forum. I have pondered these initial ideas more than once.
The radicals that make up the first Kanji for “tray” or “Bon” consist of:-
 |
|
This is how we derive “Tray” seemingly. i.e. a dish, divided, cut or sliced (horizontally) will give a thinner dish or tray as often used for bonsai.