翁
elderly man; honorific title for a great man
Kanji 1037
Thank you for visiting this Character Home Page. Below you'll find a synopsis of the essay. If you wish to read the full text, the PDF of the essay is available for purchase to the right.
Learn to say “old man” in insulting and respectful ways, as well as “the great Basho.” See why it’s not weird to name a baby 翁. Find out how a monk defeated a rock, how the rock still causes trouble, and how a hammer was named after the monk! Read about a Japanese man named after the Great Wall of China. And see why Westerners and the Japanese have opposite views of the albatross.
Revision history:
Jan. 30, 2026: p. 4: Changed the description of Takamori Saigo from "samurai and poet" to "samurai and politician." Also deleted a broken link.
June 1, 2021:
- p. 2: Updated the Henshall etymology.
- p. 13: Added a link to the Kanshudo games.
July 27, 2018: Originally published.
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