KanjiJLPT N1
Sickle

sickle, scythe, trick

Mnemonic

You unearth a gold Sickle from an ancient rice field. At the same time, the sky darkens and ghostly farmers materialize, reaching for the gold sickle — it was their prized harvesting tool, and they desperately want it back!
Additional thoughts
Picture the golden gleam of the blade the instant the ghost farmers appear simultaneously — gold + at the same time = sickle. The Kamakura-era setting helps anchor the image.
Quick recall
A gold Sickle is unearthed and at the same time ghostly farmers rise to reclaim it.

Details

The keyword for 鎌 is sickle. This kanji refers to a sickle or scythe, the curved cutting tool traditionally used for harvesting grain, cutting grass, or reaping crops. It is closely associated with agricultural life in Japan, where the sickle was an essential farming implement. The character is also famously found in the place name Kamakura (鎌倉), the historic city in Japan that served as the seat of the first shogunate.
On'yomi
れん、けん
Kun'yomi
かま