250. Music, Pleasure 楽 [N4]

Four sparks of white above a tree inspire music

249. Wide or Spacious 広 [N4]

This cliff is where I have to spread myself wide

248. Bad 悪 [N4]

It is bad for your heart to be under Asia

247. Old 古 [N4]

Ten mouths to feed would make you feel old

246. Begin or Start 始 [N4]

A woman needs a platform to begin

245. Platform or Pedestal 台 [N4]

Bend my arm on a platform for a mouth

244. Rotate or Revolve 転 [N4]

Rotation comes when two cars mostly meet

243. Move 動 [N4]

To move something heavy needs power

242. Heavy or Pile up 重 [N4]

A double wheeled vehicle can carry heavy loads

241. Borrow 借 [N4]

A person in olden times had to borrow

240. Serve or Attend 仕 [N4]

A person who is a samurai serves here

239. Stand up or Erect 立 [N4]

Standing up on both legs makes you appear large

238. Consider, Think 考 [N4]

Old man leans on bent stick and considers his future

237. Thousand 千 [N5]

Ten people join for a thousand years

236. Ten 十 [N5]

Make a perfect cross for ten out of ten

235. Nine 九 [N5]

A loopy ten with a hook is only worth nine

234. Soil or Earth 土 [N5]

Add ten shovels of earth to ground level to make a perfect pile of soil

233. Eight 八 [N5]

Only eight can divide three times

231. Half or Midway 半 [N5]

Headless cow is divided, then you get half

230. Picture or painting 絵 [N3]

Threads meeting make a picture

229. Circular, Round or Yen 円 [N5]

Yen coins are circular so roll out of an upside down box

228. Accomplishment, Achievement or Plural 達 [N3]

The movement of sheep on an earth road is an accomplishment

227. Private, I or Me 私 [N4]

I keep my private wheat to myself

226. Visit or Call on 訪 [N3]

A visit is when you say words in a particular direction

225. Ten thousand 万 [N5]

Ten thousand dollars might make you lose direction a little bit

224. Direction 方 [N4]

One sword blade gives most direction, which also adds a bit to ten thousand

223. Coloring or Colouring 彩 [N1]

Designers gather colors then add some fur

222. Vegetable 菜 [N2]

Gather green plants for vegetable dish

221. Pick 採 [N2]

To pick fruit from a tree, an extra hand helps gather

220. Gather, Appearance or Dice 采 [N1]

To gather fruit you must claw it from the tree

219. Carve, Sculpt or Engrave 彫 [N1]

Carve three curving lines around the perimeter of each sculpture

218. Shadow or Shade 影 [N1]

If you wear fur to visit scenery, stay in the shade

217. Blossom or Bloom 咲 [N2]

This blossom looks like mouths with heavenly horns

216. Spring or Springtime 春 [N4]

Three people enjoy the sun in Spring

215. Voice 声 [N3]

Hear the voice of the samurai with the split flag

214. Color or Colour 色 [N4]

Person kneels to have their eyes colored

213. Scenery or View 景 [N3]

Sun on the capital city provides perfect scenery

212. Capital 京 [N4]

The Capital is where the tall and small come together.

211. Strange 奇 [N1]

It can be strange when big is allowed

210. Baggage, Luggage or Load 荷 [N2]

What do you put on your baggage? Daisies, of course

209. River 河 [N2]

Rivers can allow water to flow

208. What 何 [N5]

What is a person allowed to do?

207. Allowed, Permitted or Can 可 [N3 or N4]

They allow mouths to be nailed on this street

206. Street or City block 丁 [N1]

You mark out a street or city block by nailing in metal spikes

205. Pagoda or Tower 塔 [N2]

Fit together a daisy chain from the pile of earth at the pagoda

204. Answer, Reply or Solution 答 [N4]

Bamboo that fits together gives the answer

203. Wish or Thought 念 [N3]

A wish is what is in your heart now

202. Include or Contain 含 [N2]

Now you may include things in your mouth

201. Recite 吟 [N1]

When the poet recites, now is not the time to open your mouth

200. Pick up or Gather 拾 [N2]

Hands fit together well, so you can pick up anything

199. Supply or Salary 給 [N3]

Efficient supply means fitting together every thread in your plan

198. Cloud 雲 [N2]

Clouds that produce rain have two layers and a bolt of lightning below

197. Fit together or join 合 [N3]

To fit something together you gather for mouth to mouth communication

196. Meeting 会 [N4]

A meeting is two people gathering to introduce themselves

195. Now 今 [N5]

Now is the time to gather - see the hands of the clock

194. Journey 往 [N1]

When the lord and master of the house sets out on a journey, he always starts by going left

193. Pillar or Post 柱 [N2]

The lord and master of the tree house ties his dog to a pillar

192. Pour or Concentrate on 注 [N4]

The lord and master of the house pours water from a candlestick

191. Dwell or Reside 住 [N4]

Who dwells here? The person who is master of the house

190. Master (of the house) or Lord 主 [N4]

The master of the house is a king with just a drop of power

189. Drink 飲 [N4]

When we lack food, we turn to drink

188. Life or Living 生 [N5]

Life shoots out of the earth, then a bloom appears

187. Melodious 朗 [N1]

A good moon makes one cheerful and melodious

186. Eyeball 眼 [N1]

Like a pirate's eyeballs, one good eye but one bit missing

185. Eat or Food 食 [N5]

Lift a lid to uncover good food to eat

184. Silver 銀 [N4]

Silver is a good metal but we are missing a bit

183. Good 良 [N3]

White can be a good color if you add extras

182. Mirror 鏡 [N1]

Mirrors are polished metal where humans stand, making noises about how good they look

181. Gold or metal 金 [N5]

The King keeps two bars of gold at the foot of his covered bed

180. Arrow or Dart 矢 [N1]

The drop in the sky is an arrow, falling in your eye!

179. Tall or Expensive 高 [N5]

This tall tower has two openings, one hidden under a box and one just under the lid

178. Happiness 幸 [N3]

The ten spicy experiences that give happiness

177. Little or small 小 [N5]

Just three drops make little difference

176. Resign or quit (and 'word') 辞 [N3]

When resigning, spicy words feel good on the tongue

175. North 北 [N5]

Two people back to back at the North Pole, one with arms raised and toes curled, like a spoon

174. South 南 [N5]

In the South they hide spicy food under a box

173. Spicy or Hot or Bitter 辛 [N2]

Spicy as ten needles standing on your tongue

172. Six 六 [N5]

Lid stops eight getting two so makes six

171. Bosom, Breast or Chest 胸 [N2]

Lungs are an empty box, wrapped in ribs and with extra flesh we call our bosom

170. Waist, Hips or Loin 腰 [N2]

The needs of the flesh add to the waist

169. Needed or Need 要 [N3]

All good westerns need a good woman

168. Fold (bend, break) 折 [N3]

Hold a folding origami axe in your left hand

167. Harbor or Harbour 港 [N3]

In the harbor one is together with just the water and oneself

166. To offer (submit, companion) 供 [N3]

A companion offers togetherness with a person

165. Together 共 [N3]

Two hands hold one bunch of daisies together

164. Five 五 [N5]

For five simply take three then add two down

163. Four 四 [N5]

All boxes have four sides, but only this one has legs

162. Write down (scribe, record) 記 [N3]

First say the words to oneself then write them down

161. Distribute 配 [N3]

Distribute alcohol without water to kneeling people then to oneself

160. Alcohol (or sake) 酒 [N3]

In the West when we want alcohol for a Zodiac day we make sure to take a little water with it

159. The Rooster (Zodiac sign) 酉 [N1 or none]

At special times chickens drink alcohol with no water

158. West 西 [N5]

Of the four directions, West is the one with legs

157. Behind 後 [N5]

Go left, follow the fine thread, then walk behind

156. Line 線 [N2]

Threads of white water spring into a line we call a stream

155. Spring 泉 [N2]

Water springing from the earth is pure white

154. Cotton 綿 [N2]

Cotton goods are just white cloth threaded together

153. Compile (edit, knit) 編 [N2]

Editors compile threads of words together, and use tomes of books as a doorstop

152. Thread 糸 [N2]

Wrap thread using this small two level wrapper

151. Tome (used to count books) 冊 [N2]

You line up three books to make this tome

150. Three 三 [N5]

Two is company and three is just one more

130. Spirit 気 [N5]

The spirit makes the air flow to cut crops

129. Search 捜 [N2]

Search the left hand of the monkey again and again

128. Expand 伸 [N2]

To expand a monkey a person must feed it

127. Electricity 電 [N5]

In an electric storm, shelter from the rain under the monkey's umbrella

126. Monkey say 申 [N3]

Monkey say, monkey do, monkeys climb poles

125. Man 男 [N5]

A man was the power in the rice fields

124. 力 Power [N4]

A powerful plough with two sharp blades and a handle

123. Vehicle (or car) 車 [N5]

This vehicle can carry four and needs a carrying pole at each end

122. Every 毎 [N5]

Every person needs a mother to support them

121. Mother 母 [N5]

Mother has a chest with two drawers with little handles

120. Prosperity 栄 [N2]

The owl-house tree is a lesson in prosperity

119. Bed (or floor) 床 [N2]

Make your bed in the tree under the cliff

118. Tree 木 [N5]

Trees need a platform to sit on

117. Fire 火 [N5]

Two twigs leaning together with two sparks make a fire

116. Create 造 [N2]

115. Inform 告 [N3]

114. Below 下 [N5]

113. Above 上 [N5]

112. Middle 中 [N5]

111. Quantity 量 [N2]

94. Sun 日 [N5]

93. Read 読 [N5] (uses 92 'sell' & 74 'say')

92. Sell 売 [N4] (uses 91 'samurai')

91. Samurai 士 [N1]

90. In front of 前 [N5]

At full moon stay in front of men with knives and horns

89. Before 先 [N5]

Come before the men in cow costumes.

88. Shellfish 貝 [N2]

Shellfish with one eye walk with straight legs.

87. See 見 [N5]

An eye with little human legs is rarely seen

86. Eye 目 [N4]

Eye see three areas - eyelid, pupil, eyelid

85. Cut 切 [N4]

Seven swords make for clean cuts

84. Part or parts 分 [N5]

Division into parts is done with a sword

83. Sword 刀 [N1]

You can draw this sword with just two strokes

82. Exit 出 [N5] (uses 81 'mountain')

The exit path leads up through two mountains

81. Mountain 山 [N5]

The mountain has a peak and two minor summits

80. Many 多 [N4] (uses 77 'evening')

Double evenings make many moons

64. Child 子 [N5]

63. Space 間 [N5]

62. Book 本 [N5]

61. East 東 [N5]

The sun rises behind a tree in the East

60. Left 左 [N5]

To be left-handed is not a sign of witchcraft

59. Right 右 [N5]

58. Friend 友 [N5]

Friends hand each other secrets, how could it be otherwise?

57. Rest 休 [N5]

When a person needs a rest, a tree is best

56. Year 年 [N5] (uses 55 'noon')

This year you can ride the horse side-saddle

55. Noon 午 [N5] ('hour of the Horse')

Noon is the hour of the horse

54. Large or Big 大 [N5]

A man standing with arms outstretched is large

53. Week 週 [N4] (uses 52 'perimeter')

Each week is a movement along the perimeter of the race track of life

52. 周 Perimeter or Circumference [N2]

Keep a soiled mouth within a safe perimeter

51. 味 Flavor, Flavour or Taste [N4]

It has not reached your mouth, but you can taste the flavor

50. 特 Special [N4] (uses 45 'temple')

They are special cows at the temple

49. Time 時 [N5] (uses 45 'temple')

Use the sundial at the temple to tell the time

48. Hold 持 [N4] (uses 45 'temple')

Hold the temple with your left hand

47. Going 行 [N5]

To keep going forward, each foot must stop and wait for the other

46. Wait 待 [N4] (uses 45 'temple')

The best place to stop and wait is at the temple

45. Temple 寺 [N2]

To build a temple you first measure the soil.

44. Location 場 [N4]

You must not be caught at the location of the pile of soil at dawn

43. Easy 易 [N3]

It is easy to stare at the sun, but you must not!

42. Thing 物 [N4]

That thing must not be a cow!

41. Ground 地 [N4]

This ground is the very soil where Shakespeare walked

40. Company 社 [N4]

Gather at the mound of soil to worship at the company altar

39. Elder or Older Sister 姉 [N4]

The elder sister is the woman who goes to the market

38. Younger Sister 妹 [N4]

Your younger sister is not yet a woman

37. Blue 青 [N4]

Once in a blue moon, the barley shoots appear

36. Buy 買 [N4]

Buy nothing from a shellfish with a funny eye

35. Character 字 [N4]

You name your newborn child under your own roof using Japanese characters

34. Parent 親 [N4]

Parents suggest, to see further first stand on a tree

33. Research 究 [N4]

Do research by poking (nine) fingers into holes

32. Generation 世 [N4]

Each generation pushes the swing for the next

31. World 界 [N4]

As the person responsible for a rice field, it becomes your world

30. Empty, Sky 空 [N4]

All craftspeople love an empty cave

29. House 家 [N4]

You can feel at home with a pig

28. Hear 聞 [N5]

To hear at the gates, you need big ears

27. Town 町 [N4]

A town has a rice field and a sign nailed to a post

25. Cheap or Peaceful 安 [N4]

A cheap crown does not make a woman a queen

24. Question 問 [N4]

The gatekeeper opens his mouth to ask questions

23. Think 思 [N4]

I think my heart belongs in the rice fields

22. New 新 [N4]

To start a new cabin, stand by a tree with an axe

21. Substance 質 [N4]

It takes two sharp blades to open shellfish

20. Place 所 [N3]

Meet at the place with the axe on the door

19. Near 近 [N4]

Near enough to be hit by an axe

18. Darkness 暗 (uses 13. Noise, Sound) [N3]

Darkness - there is no sun and no sound

17. Grass 草 (uses 10. Early) [N3]

Rise early to see daisies in the grass

16. Tide 潮 (uses 9. Morning) [N1]

In the morning, the tide washes in

15. Recollection 憶 (uses 14. Idea) [N1]

Remember your best ideas in your heart

14. Idea 意 [N4] (uses 13. Noise)

For sound ideas, always listen to your heart

13. Noise or Sound 音 [N4]

Try to stand on the sun - the noise is you screaming

12. Road 道 [N4] (uses 11 'neck')

Roads are where you put your neck on the line!

11. Neck 首 [N3]

Adorn your neck and wear your horns and you are ready to find yourself

10. Early 早 [N4]

Set an early trend, pin a sunflower to your top!

9. Morning 朝 [N4] (uses 10 'early')

As the moon fades, needles of rain fall early in the morning.

8. Wear 着 [N4]

Pulling the wool over your eyes.

7. Employee 員 [N4]

Employees have to 'clam up' about company secrets!

6. Fresh 鮮 [N1]

Sheep will go anywhere for fresh fish

4. Fond of 好 [N3]

Every woman is fond of her child

3. Bright 明 [N4]

Why is it so bright? Because you can see both the sun and the moon

2. Cherry tree 桜 [N1]

If you see a woman under a cherry tree, watch out for the owl

1. Beauty 美 [N3]

Nothing is as beautiful to a poor peasant as a large sheep