..yes, it's a tattoo. Wait! Wait, come back!!
Let me try to convince you a little further this is worth your time:
1) I have already read this thread.. and I completely understand where you're coming from with many of the requests you must get
2) I can't read or write kanji but I can write hiragana and katana, and can speak basic-to-moderate Japanese (demo watashi no nihongo wa chotto warui desu)
3) In addition to being an admirer of Japanese culture for most of my life (including having several books on irezumi), I also spent two weeks in 2015 in Japan and climbed Fuji-san for the sunrise
My point with all this is that I'm not some valley girl looking for a small symbol to the equivalent of "Live Laugh Love," or something equally cringeworthy in a language I don't appreciate or know the meaning of.
So my question, if you're not already too incensed to cope with helping out on a tattoo, is this: How can I find a suitable kanji to help complete my latest design? This is what my left arm currently looks like:
..as I'm halfway through my second half sleeve. You will note that it is not entirely traditional Japanese tattoo design as it's deliberately between eastern and western styles. Personally I think there's currently a bit much going on with both the warrior's chinstrap and face mask at the same time.. but hopefully my artist is skilled enough to make everything work once finished.
I'd previously found this kanji for the warrior's chestplate:
Integrity - Japanese Calligraphy Art
..since those values are important to me. And I thought it was simple enough to work on the armour. However, kanji-fluent colleagues have told me that this kanji is quite plain and an everyday word, so therefore wouldn't be very suitable for such a permanent place on my arm or to be boldy displayed on this guy's chest. I've instead then been suggested to look into this:
èª - Google Search
..but it seems a little on the busy side.
With all this background, can you suggest a way to find a suitable character instead? I'm primarily concerned about the meaning, rather than the look - but clearly both are important. I could get a list of kanji from somewhere, and translate any that I like the look of and see if I value the meaning, but that seems like quite a superficial way of doing it.
(Finally.. I obviously can't stop anyone making any comments that don't fit the brief above - but as long as you say on here whatever you'd say in person, then you'll still have my respect. I'd still be more impressed if you shared your knowledge of kanji with me, though).
Domi arigato gozaimsu. Yoi ichinichi wo.
Lee
Let me try to convince you a little further this is worth your time:
1) I have already read this thread.. and I completely understand where you're coming from with many of the requests you must get
2) I can't read or write kanji but I can write hiragana and katana, and can speak basic-to-moderate Japanese (demo watashi no nihongo wa chotto warui desu)
3) In addition to being an admirer of Japanese culture for most of my life (including having several books on irezumi), I also spent two weeks in 2015 in Japan and climbed Fuji-san for the sunrise
My point with all this is that I'm not some valley girl looking for a small symbol to the equivalent of "Live Laugh Love," or something equally cringeworthy in a language I don't appreciate or know the meaning of.
So my question, if you're not already too incensed to cope with helping out on a tattoo, is this: How can I find a suitable kanji to help complete my latest design? This is what my left arm currently looks like:
..as I'm halfway through my second half sleeve. You will note that it is not entirely traditional Japanese tattoo design as it's deliberately between eastern and western styles. Personally I think there's currently a bit much going on with both the warrior's chinstrap and face mask at the same time.. but hopefully my artist is skilled enough to make everything work once finished.
I'd previously found this kanji for the warrior's chestplate:
Integrity - Japanese Calligraphy Art
..since those values are important to me. And I thought it was simple enough to work on the armour. However, kanji-fluent colleagues have told me that this kanji is quite plain and an everyday word, so therefore wouldn't be very suitable for such a permanent place on my arm or to be boldy displayed on this guy's chest. I've instead then been suggested to look into this:
èª - Google Search
..but it seems a little on the busy side.
With all this background, can you suggest a way to find a suitable character instead? I'm primarily concerned about the meaning, rather than the look - but clearly both are important. I could get a list of kanji from somewhere, and translate any that I like the look of and see if I value the meaning, but that seems like quite a superficial way of doing it.
(Finally.. I obviously can't stop anyone making any comments that don't fit the brief above - but as long as you say on here whatever you'd say in person, then you'll still have my respect. I'd still be more impressed if you shared your knowledge of kanji with me, though).
Domi arigato gozaimsu. Yoi ichinichi wo.
Lee