Mnemonic
The sun bakes golden grain in the fields until it releases a warm, intoxicating aroma. Villagers collect this sun-dried grain, bundle it tightly, and burn it as incense. The fragrant smoke of toasted grain spirals upward, carrying prayers into the sky.
Additional thoughts
Picture a hot sun drying grain until it smells sweet, then imagine that grain smoldering as temple incense. Top radical (grain) sits above bottom radical (sun), like grain drying under sunlight.Quick recall
Sun-baked grain is burned as sacred incense.Details
The keyword for 香 is incense. This kanji refers to a pleasant fragrance or aroma, particularly the kind produced by burning incense. It broadly encompasses the concept of sweet smells and perfumes, and is used to describe anything that gives off an agreeable scent. In Japanese culture, it is closely associated with the traditional art of appreciating incense, known as kōdō.
- On'yomi
- こう、きょう
- Kun'yomi
- か、かお.り、かお.る