[For Seniors] Quiz on Kanji with Many Strokes

hail (small hailstones)

The term for the ice pellets that fall from the sky has 20 strokes in kanji. It describes weather where fine pellets ride the wind and strike the body continuously and forcefully—more painful than snow. The difference from hail, which is also ice pellets, is the size of the grains: those with a diameter of less than 5 millimeters are called arare (graupel/small ice pellets).

bean sprouts

A vegetable characterized by white sprouts grown from beans like mung beans and soybeans, it pairs well with almost anything thanks to its light texture, and its stable price is a big draw. Since sprouting without exposure to sunlight is the condition for keeping it white, its ease of cultivation is another highlight. It also appears in Heian-period texts as an ingredient in medicines, giving a sense of its long history. When written with a single kanji character, it has 22 strokes.

dimple

The small indentations that appear on the cheeks when you smile are often written in kanji as 「笑窪」, but they can also be written with a single character. Not everyone has them, as they vary greatly due to genetics and other individual differences, so if you have dimples, cherish them as a charming feature. The kanji has 23 strokes.

ei

It’s a fish with a striking appearance that sways as it swims using its large, widely spread fins, and its kanji has 23 strokes. Its gently swaying, calm figure makes it popular for display in aquariums, and it has also long been cherished as food, especially in the Tohoku region.

Japanese bush warbler

It’s a bird that comes to Japan from spring to summer, and its kanji has 21 strokes. It’s well known for its “hoh-hokekyo” call and is also called the “harutsuge-dori” (spring-announcing bird) because it rings out in early spring. Along with the Blue-and-white Flycatcher and the Japanese Robin, it is counted among Japan’s three great songbirds and is cherished as a symbol of spring.

giraffe

A legendary creature from Chinese mythology, it’s well known in Japan as the mascot of Kirin Beer. The name of the real long-necked animal, the “giraffe” (kirin in Japanese), also derives from its resemblance to this mythical being. The character 麒 has 19 strokes and 麟 has 24, making a total of 43 strokes for the word.

kakushaku

It’s a word that describes someone who remains robust and energetic even in old age. It is said to be an onomatopoeic expression uttered after Emperor Guangwu of the Later Han saw the vigorous figure of the elderly general Ma Yuan, who had requested to go into battle. When you pronounce ‘kakushaku,’ it conjures an image of someone with a straight back moving briskly. The character ‘矍’ has 20 strokes, and ‘鑠’ has 23, making a total of 43 strokes.