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See also: Selections of just Japanese Kanji Calligraphy
1. Emperor
4. Empress
6. Queen
7. Yellow
8. King
10. Taisho
11. Qin / Chin
13. Samurai
15. Genghis Khan
16. Goldfish
17. Fujin
19. Banzai / Wansui
20. Qin / Chin / Tan / Yasushi
21. Bodhidharma
22. Glory and Honor
23. Destiny / Fate
24. Banzai
25. Blue Dragon / Azure Dragon
26. Destiny Determined by Heaven
27. Phoenix
28. Undaunted After Repeated Setbacks
29. Dragon
30. Shaolin
皇帝 means emperor in Chinese, Japanese, and old Korean.
From times of old, the emperors of Asia ruled under the authority of God himself. One definition of an emperor is a ruler put in power by God. This definition separates emperors from the various kings in Chinese history (although defining who is a king versus an emperor gets vague sometimes).
Occasionally, the emperor's wife was widowed, and she took the role of an empress until her death (see our entry for empress if that is what you are looking for).
天皇 is the title of the Emperor of Japan.
This title is used in China, Korea, and Japan to refer specifically to the Emperor of Japan.
竜 is an alternate form of the dragon.
Still pronounced the same in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.
This particular Kanji is often associated as an imperial symbol as well as representing the mythical Asian dragon. You may have seen it on the chest or flag of the emperor in old Japanese and Chinese movies.
Note: I would rate this as a non-universal alternate form. The other dragon character is by far more common, and universally understood.
We strongly recommend if you are looking for the symbol of dragon.
皇后 is the title of empress/emperess, the female form of the emperor.
皇后 is used in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
While the emperor's reign was for life, if he died, his wife would hold his power. In this case, a woman was the ultimate ruler of the greater part of East Asia (now China) until her death and the succession of the emperor's firstborn son to lead the empire. Numerous times in various Chinese dynasties, an empress took power in this way.
The first character means emperor by itself.
The second character alone can mean “wife of an emperor or king” (the first character clarifies that we are talking about an empress and not a queen). It can also mean sovereign or last offspring, depending on context.
Note: In some books, this word is translated as queen. While only incorrect if you get technical (because an empress is theoretically a higher level than a queen), the meaning is very similar.
皇后 is sometimes used for the title of queen, but more technically, this is the wife of the emperor (a higher level than a queen).
Wife of the King
王后 is another way to write queen in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
王后 is sometimes used for the title of empress.
The first character means “king,” and the second means “wife,” or a short form to say “wife of the king/emperor.” So this is literally “king's wife” or “emperor's wife.” Some will translate this as “queen consort.”
Yellow Color
黃 is the single character for the color yellow in Chinese.
This can be a Chinese surname Huang or a Korean surname Hwang.
In China, yellow is traditionally the color of the emperor. In fact, there was a time when only the emperor could wear yellow clothing or own yellow pet fish.
Note: Goldfish were bred originally in China for the emperor. When the perfect yellow fish was bred, all but the emperor were banned from owning any. Thus a more orange-colored goldfish dominated the market.
Notes: 黃 is not a common selection for a wall scroll. In certain contexts in China, yellow can refer to pornography or vice.
This character is written with a slight variation in Simplified Chinese and modern Japanese. Click on the image to the right if you want this alternate version.
王 is wang which means king. It is not pronounced the way you think in Chinese. It is more like English speakers would want to pronounce wong. It has roughly the same vowel sound as tong, song, or long in English.
Note that this means king only, not the emperor. An emperor is higher than a king, and theoretically is chosen by God, according to ancient Chinese culture. However, the definition is often blurred at various points in Asian history.
王 can also be defined as ruler, sovereign, monarch, or magnate. It is also can refer to a game piece in the chess-like Japanese strategic game of shoji.
Note: This can also be a family name in Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese (in Vietnamese it's Vương).
See Also: Queen
恩寵 means grace or favor in Chinese characters, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
In ancient China, this was a special favor bestowed by a ruler. It could also be the Emperor's generosity towards a favorite person or concubine.
Surname
欽 is one of a few Chinese characters that can be a surname romanized as Qin or Chin.
The actual meaning of this character is reverence; respect; admire; venerate; by the emperor himself; imperial.
In Japanese, this can be the name Makoto.
Quote from William S. Clark in Japan
少年よ大志を抱け was a sort of motto or proverb invoked by William Clark after being hired by the Emperor of Japan in 1876 to establish a university in Hokkaido, Japan.
This phrase has been famous across all generations of Japan since that time.
More about William S. Clark's adventures in Japan.
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
In Japanese, 侍 represents the warriors that attempted to hold peace when there was no Emperor in Japan.
Be cautious though, as it is an old way to express “servant” or “waiter” in Chinese and Korean. Of course, if you are a samurai, you are a servant to your Shogun-ate, Lord, or the people (which is the root meaning).
See Also: Warrior
Sea God
成吉思汗 is the full title for Genghis Khan (1162-1227).
Khan is the title of his position as emperor. Genghis is his name.
In Japan, this also means Genghis Khan but is sometimes used to refer to a specific Japanese mutton and vegetable dish or the slotted dome cast iron grill for preparing this dish.
金魚 is the title for goldfish in Chinese and Japanese.
There was a time in ancient China when only the Emperor could possess the actual yellow-gold colored fish. This is why alternate coloration such as orange, black, red, and white was bred. Many believe this is why colors other than yellow-gold are more common for “goldfish” in pet shops today.
夫人 is a Japanese word that romanizes as Fujin.
I added this because several people have searched for Fujin. 夫人 can mean: lady; madam; Mrs.; consort of the emperor; wife; wife of a nobleman (aristocrat, etc.); the wife of a king. 夫人 means the same thing in Chinese, Japanese, and old Korean.
夫人 is an odd choice for a wall scroll, but I have fulfilled your search for Fujin, I think.
龍鳳 is the simplest way to express “Dragon and Phoenix” in Chinese and Japanese.
This title can be used to represent, “The emperor and empress,” or a metaphor for an outstanding personage.
It should be noted that this is most often used as a given name, “Ryuuhou” in Japanese. It may be read more as a name than by meaning in Japanese.
Old Japanese / Traditional Chinese & Korean
萬歲 is the traditional Chinese, Korean Hanja, and ancient Japanese way of writing banzai.
In modern times, the first character was simplified in Japan and China. So you might want to select the other entry for universal readability.
While it has become a popular, if not an odd, thing to scream as you jump out of an airplane (preferably with a parachute attached), banzai is actually a very old Asian way to say “hooray.” The Japanese word “banzai” comes from the Chinese word “wan sui,” which means “The age of 10,000 years.” It is actually a wish that the Emperor or the Empire live that long.
Imagine long ago when the Emperor made a rare public appearance. 萬歲 is what all people would yell to their leader in respect.
So if you like it as a hooray, or you want to wish someone that they live for 10,000 years, this is the calligraphy for you.
Other translations include Cheers! (not the drinking kind), hurrah!, long live [name]!, and congratulations!
To other things with banzai in their names, I am still waiting for the promised sequel to Buckaroo Banzai.
Notes: Sometimes people confuse banzai with bonsai. A bonsai is a miniature tree. They have nothing to do with each other.
Surname
秦 is a common character that can be the surname romanized as Qin or Chin in Chinese.
秦 is the same Qin as the Qin dynasty (221-207 BC). The Qin dynasty established the first emperor and the first unification of China (previously a multitude of kingdoms).
秦 is also a surname in Vietnamese where it is romanized as Tần and in Japanese where it is romanized as Yasushi.
菩提達磨 is the title Bodhidharma in Chinese and Japanese.
Bodhidharma, commonly known as Damo, is reputed as the founder of the Chan (Zen) or Intuitional or Mystic School.
He likely came from south India and spread Mahayana Buddhism throughout China (even meeting the Emperor) and his disciples likely spread this all the way to Korea, Japan, and beyond in the 5th and 6th centuries.
Sometimes the last character varies in Chinese to 摩 instead of 磨 - let me know if you need a certain variation when you order.
榮 relates to giving someone a tribute or praise.
It's a little odd as a gift, so this may not be the best selection for a wall scroll.
I've made this entry because this character is often misused as “honorable” or “keeping your honor.” It's not quite the same meaning, as this usually refers to a tribute or giving an honor to someone.
榮 is often found in tattoo books incorrectly listed as the western idea of personal honor or being honorable. Check with us before you get a tattoo that does not match the meaning you are really looking for. As a tattoo, this suggests that you either have a lot of pride in yourself or that you have a wish for prosperity for yourself and/or your family.
In modern Japanese Kanji, glory and honor look like the image to the right.
There is a lot of confusion about this character, so here are some alternate translations for this character: prosperous, flourishing, blooming (like a flower), glorious beauty, proud, praise, rich, or it can be the family name “Rong.” The context in which the character is used can change the meaning between these various ideas.
In the old days, this could be an honor paid to someone by the Emperor (basically a designation by the Emperor that a person has high standing).
To sum it up: 榮 has a positive meaning; however, it's a different flavor than the idea of being honorable and having integrity.
命 is often translated as “destiny.”
Sometimes this character is simply translated as “life” but more in terms of one's lot in life. In a certain context, this can mean command or decree (generally from a king or emperor). Of course, such a decree is part of fate and leads you to fulfill your destiny.
In Chinese, this word leans toward the fate or destiny definition.
In Korean, it is usually read simply as “life.”
In Japanese, it can mean all definitions shown above, depending on context.
See Also: Good Fortune
Modern Japanese Version
万歲 is the modern Japanese way to write banzai.
We've made two almost identical entries for this word, with just a variation on the first character. In the last century, 萬 was simplified to 万 in Japan and China. The new generation will expect it to be written as 万 but the old generation can still read the more traditional 萬 form. You must make your determination as to what version is best for you. If your audience is mostly Japanese, I suggest 万歲.
While it has become a popular, if not an odd, thing to scream as you jump out of an airplane (preferably with a parachute attached), banzai is actually a very old Asian way to say “hooray.” The Japanese word “banzai” comes from the Chinese word “wan sui” which means “The age of 10,000 years.” It is actually a wish that the Emperor or the Empire live that long.
Imagine long ago when the Emperor made a rare public appearance. This is what all of the people would yell to their leader in respect.
So if you like it as a hooray, or you want to wish someone that they live for 10,000 years, this is the calligraphy for you.
To other things with banzai in their names, I am still waiting for the promised sequel to Buckaroo Banzai.
Other translations: hurrah, long life, congratulations, cheers, live long.
Notes: Sometimes people confuse banzai with bonsai. A bonsai is a miniature tree. They have nothing to do with each other. Further, Bonzai is not a word at all - although it would make a great name for a calcium supplement for older people.
青龍 is a scholarly title for “Blue Dragon” or “Azure Dragon.”
You'll find this title used in ancient Chinese literature and astronomy. This dragon has dominion over the eastern sky or eastern heavens. The Azure Dragon is also noted for representing the spring season. Also seen as an auspicious omen.
Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty canonized the five colored dragons as “kings.” The Azure Dragon represents the most compassionate of kings.
In Japanese, this title is known with the same meaning but can also be a given name, Seiryuu or Seiryu.
Note, the first character can be written as OR . Same character, just two ways to write it.
天意 is a way to express destiny in a slightly religious way.
天意 means “Heaven's Wish” or “Heaven's Desire,” with the idea of fate and destiny being derived as well. It suggests that your destiny comes from God / Heaven and that your path has already been chosen by a higher power.
My Japanese dictionary defines this word as “divine will” or “providence,” but it also holds the meaning of “the will of the emperor.” Therefore, I don't suggest this phrase if your audience is Japanese - it feels strange in Japanese anyway.
凰 is another simple way to write “Phoenix” in Chinese. 凰 is the specifically female element of a phoenix, so this is how you write “female phoenix.” 凰 is sometimes used to represent the female empress (many times in history, China was ruled by a woman, in much the same way queens came to power in Europe).
Note that the emperor is always represented as a dragon (not the male version of a phoenix).
If you see yourself as a strong woman, this might be a calligraphy scroll for you to express “woman power” or “powerful woman” in a cool way.
Persistence to overcome all challenges
百折不撓 is a Chinese proverb that means “Be undaunted in the face of repeated setbacks.”
More directly translated, it reads, “[Overcome] a hundred setbacks, without flinching.” 百折不撓 is of Chinese origin but is commonly used in Japanese and somewhat in Korean (same characters, different pronunciation).
This proverb comes from a long, and occasionally tragic story of a man that lived sometime around 25-220 AD. His name was Qiao Xuan, and he never stooped to flattery but remained an upright person at all times. He fought to expose the corruption of higher-level government officials at great risk to himself.
Then when he was at a higher level in the Imperial Court, bandits were regularly capturing hostages and demanding ransoms. But when his own son was captured, he was so focused on his duty to the Emperor and the common good that he sent a platoon of soldiers to raid the bandits' hideout, and stop them once and for all even at the risk of his own son's life. While all of the bandits were arrested in the raid, they killed Qiao Xuan's son at first sight of the raiding soldiers.
Near the end of his career, a new Emperor came to power, and Qiao Xuan reported to him that one of his ministers was bullying the people and extorting money from them. The new Emperor refused to listen to Qiao Xuan and even promoted the corrupt Minister. Qiao Xuan was so disgusted that in protest, he resigned from his post as minister (something almost never done) and left for his home village.
His tombstone reads “Bai Zhe Bu Nao” which is now a proverb used in Chinese culture to describe a person of strong will who puts up stubborn resistance against great odds.
My Chinese-English dictionary defines these 4 characters as “keep on fighting despite all setbacks,” “be undaunted by repeated setbacks,” and “be indomitable.”
Our translator says it can mean “never give up” in modern Chinese.
Although the first two characters are translated correctly as “repeated setbacks,” the literal meaning is “100 setbacks” or “a rope that breaks 100 times.” The last two characters can mean “do not yield” or “do not give up.”
Most Chinese, Japanese, and Korean people will not take this absolutely literal meaning but will instead understand it as the title suggests above. If you want a single big word definition, it would be indefatigability, indomitableness, persistence, or unyielding.
See Also: Tenacity | Fortitude | Strength | Perseverance | Persistence
Year of the Dragon / Zodiac Sign
龍 is the character for dragon in Chinese, old Korean Hanja, and Japanese Kanji.
The dragon is a creature of myth and legend that dominates Chinese, Japanese, and even European folklore. In China, the dragon is the symbol of the Emperor, strength, and power, and the Chinese dragon is known as the god of water.
From the Chinese Zodiac, if you were born in the year of the Dragon, you . . .
Have a strong body and spirit.
Are full of energy.
Have vast goals.
Have a deep level of self-awareness.
Will do whatever you can to “save face.”
See also our Chinese Zodiac or Dragon Calligraphy pages.
Little Forest
The 少林 or Shaolin monks of China have been practicing the art of Kung Fu for thousands of years. While there are many schools of Kung Fu in China, Shaolin are one of the more religiously devout and disciplined.
The title of Shaolin actually refers to a specific Buddhist monastery. It should be noted that the Shaolin were famous in China long before the Kung Fu TV show. Their fame in China is due to the monks' heroic and swift rescue of an emperor during the Tang Dynasty. Most Chinese people are not keenly aware of the Kung Fu TV show and have no idea who David Carradine is or anything about his character, Kwai Chang Caine.
Note: The literal meaning of 少林 is “little forest.”
The fame of the Shaolin has spread all over Asia, as even though this is a Chinese title, the same characters are used in Japanese with the same meaning.
将軍 or Shogun, in the simplest definition, is a General, but you could also use words such as commander, lord, overlord, highest ranking, or commanding officer.
The title “Shogun” has held some slightly ambiguous meanings at times in Japanese history.
In the west, when someone mentions “Shogun,” we may be filled with thoughts of gallant warriors. Some might even think of the TV mini-series with Richard Chamberlain. Often westerners use the words, Samurai and Shogun interchangeably, but that's really not technically correct. In the case of the Samurai, the Shogun was a designated (by the emperor) leader of a gild of Samurai. In this context, the Shogun was a Samurai lord. Or effectively, a commanding officer of a company of Samurai - to put it in modern military terms.
Sometimes a Shogun was a general; other times, he was the leader of a military government in Japan - but not a front-line warrior like a Samurai.
Variants of the same characters are used in China for the rank and title of a General of the People's Liberation Army (and the same term and characters have been used for the last 2200 years since the Qin Dynasty).
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The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...
Title | Characters | Romaji (Romanized Japanese) | Various forms of Romanized Chinese | |
Emperor | 皇 | kou / ko | huáng / huang2 / huang | |
Emperor | 皇帝 | koutei / kotei | huáng dì / huang2 di4 / huang di / huangdi | huang ti / huangti |
Emperor of Japan | 天皇 | ten nou / tennou / ten no | tiān huáng tian1 huang2 tian huang tianhuang | t`ien huang tienhuang tien huang |
Dragon Emperor Symbol | 竜 | ryuu / tatsu ryu / tatsu | lóng / long2 / long | lung |
Empress | 皇后 | kou gou / kougou / ko go | huáng hòu huang2 hou4 huang hou huanghou | |
Queen Empress | 王后 | ou kou / oukou / o ko | wáng hòu / wang2 hou4 / wang hou / wanghou | |
Queen | 女王 | jo ou / joou / jo o | nǚ wáng / nv3 wang2 / nv wang / nvwang | nü wang / nüwang |
Yellow | 黃 黄 | hon / kou / hon / ko | huáng / huang2 / huang | |
King | 王 | ou / o | wáng / wang2 / wang | |
Grace Favor | 恩寵 恩宠 | on chou / onchou / on cho | ēn chǒng / en1 chong3 / en chong / enchong | en ch`ung / enchung / en chung |
Taisho | 大正 | taishou / taisho | dà zhèng / da4 zheng4 / da zheng / dazheng | ta cheng / tacheng |
Qin Chin | 欽 钦 | kin | qīn / qin1 / qin | ch`in / chin |
Boys be Ambitious | 少年よ大志を抱け | shou nen yo tai shi o ida ke shounenyotaishioidake sho nen yo tai shi o ida ke | ||
Samurai | 侍 | samurai | shì / shi4 / shi | shih |
Neptune Poseidon | 海神 | wadatsumi | hǎi shén / hai3 shen2 / hai shen / haishen | |
Genghis Khan | 成吉思汗 | jin gi su kan jingisukan | chéng jí sī hán cheng2 ji2 si1 han2 cheng ji si han chengjisihan | ch`eng chi ssu han chengchissuhan cheng chi ssu han |
Goldfish | 金魚 金鱼 | kin gyo / kingyo | jīn yú / jin1 yu2 / jin yu / jinyu | chin yü / chinyü |
Fujin | 夫人 | fu jin / fujin | fū ren / fu1 ren5 / fu ren / furen | fu jen / fujen |
Dragon and Phoenix | 龍鳳 龙凤 | ryuu hou / ryuuhou / ryu ho | lóng fèng long2 feng4 long feng longfeng | lung feng lungfeng |
Banzai Wansui | 萬歲 万岁 | banzai / manzai | wàn suì / wan4 sui4 / wan sui / wansui | |
Qin Chin Tan Yasushi | 秦 | shin | qín / qin2 / qin | ch`in / chin |
Bodhidharma | 菩提達磨 菩提达磨 | bodai daruma bodaidaruma | pú tí dá mó pu2 ti2 da2 mo2 pu ti da mo putidamo | p`u t`i ta mo putitamo pu ti ta mo |
Glory and Honor | 榮 荣 / 栄 | ei | róng / rong2 / rong | jung |
Destiny Fate | 命 | inochi / mei | mìng / ming4 / ming | |
Banzai | 万歲 / 萬歲 万岁 | banzai | wàn suì / wan4 sui4 / wan sui / wansui | |
Blue Dragon Azure Dragon | 青龍 / 靑龍 青龙 | sei ryuu / seiryuu / sei ryu | qīng lóng qing1 long2 qing long qinglong | ch`ing lung chinglung ching lung |
Destiny Determined by Heaven | 天意 | teni | tiān yì / tian1 yi4 / tian yi / tianyi | t`ien i / tieni / tien i |
Phoenix (female) | 凰 | ou / o | huáng / huang2 / huang | |
Undaunted After Repeated Setbacks | 百折不撓 百折不挠 | hyaku setsu su tou hyakusetsusutou hyaku setsu su to | bǎi zhé bù náo bai3 zhe2 bu4 nao2 bai zhe bu nao baizhebunao | pai che pu nao paichepunao |
Dragon | 龍 龙 | ryuu / tatsu ryu / tatsu | lóng / long2 / long | lung |
Shaolin | 少林 | sho rin / shorin | shǎo lín / shao3 lin2 / shao lin / shaolin | |
Shogun Japanese General | 將軍 将军 | shougun / shogun | jiāng jūn jiang1 jun1 jiang jun jiangjun | chiang chün chiangchün |
In some entries above you will see that characters have different versions above and below a line. In these cases, the characters above the line are Traditional Chinese, while the ones below are Simplified Chinese. |
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All of our calligraphy wall scrolls are handmade.
When the calligrapher finishes creating your artwork, it is taken to my art mounting workshop in Beijing where a wall scroll is made by hand from a combination of silk, rice paper, and wood.
After we create your wall scroll, it takes at least two weeks for air mail delivery from Beijing to you.
Allow a few weeks for delivery. Rush service speeds it up by a week or two for $10!
When you select your calligraphy, you'll be taken to another page where you can choose various custom options.
The wall scroll that Sandy is holding in this picture is a "large size"
single-character wall scroll.
We also offer custom wall scrolls in small, medium, and an even-larger jumbo size.
Professional calligraphers are getting to be hard to find these days.
Instead of drawing characters by hand, the new generation in China merely type roman letters into their computer keyboards and pick the character that they want from a list that pops up.
There is some fear that true Chinese calligraphy may become a lost art in the coming years. Many art institutes in China are now promoting calligraphy programs in hopes of keeping this unique form
of art alive.
Even with the teachings of a top-ranked calligrapher in China, my calligraphy will never be good enough to sell. I will leave that to the experts.
The same calligrapher who gave me those lessons also attracted a crowd of thousands and a TV crew as he created characters over 6-feet high. He happens to be ranked as one of the top 100 calligraphers in all of China. He is also one of very few that would actually attempt such a feat.
Check out my lists of Japanese Kanji Calligraphy Wall Scrolls and Old Korean Hanja Calligraphy Wall Scrolls.
Some people may refer to this entry as Japanese Emperor Kanji, Japanese Emperor Characters, Japanese Emperor in Mandarin Chinese, Japanese Emperor Characters, Japanese Emperor in Chinese Writing, Japanese Emperor in Japanese Writing, Japanese Emperor in Asian Writing, Japanese Emperor Ideograms, Chinese Japanese Emperor symbols, Japanese Emperor Hieroglyphics, Japanese Emperor Glyphs, Japanese Emperor in Chinese Letters, Japanese Emperor Hanzi, Japanese Emperor in Japanese Kanji, Japanese Emperor Pictograms, Japanese Emperor in the Chinese Written-Language, or Japanese Emperor in the Japanese Written-Language.