On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: What is a kirakira name? Topics Discussed What a so-called kirakira nēmu is What kirakira means Five of the most difficult to read “kirakira names” The fact that many Japanese people seem to be unaware that Winnie the Pooh’s name is Winnie and not Pooh The famous 1993 case of a …

Today’s Question On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: How do you create fake kanji? Topics Discussed Kanji radicals The composition of kanji Kanji reading strategies The “Original Kanji Contest” (Sōsaku Kanji Kontesuto) What yūrei-moji (ghost kanji/characters) are Why the kanji character for rice (米) is used to mean “meter” in Japanese The kanji based system used for …