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Tan Paper and Copper Silk Love Wall Scroll
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Orange Paper Love Scroll
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Love Vertical Portrait

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Try other similar-meaning words, fewer words, or just one word.

Asia in Katakana in Chinese / Japanese...

Buy an Asia in Katakana calligraphy wall scroll here!

Personalize your custom “Asia in Katakana” project by clicking the button next to your favorite “Asia in Katakana” title below...


  1. Asia / Asian Continent

  2. India

  3. Japan

  4. Myanmar

  5. Maldives

  6. Taiwan

  7. Kazakhstan

  8. Mongolia

  9. North Korea

10. Tibet

11. Malaysia

12. Cambodia

13. North Korea

14. Vietnam

15. Macao / Macau

16. Singapore

17. Hong Kong

18. Beautiful Heart / Beautiful Mind

19. Mercury

20. Hard Work

21. Husband and Wife

22. Wine

23. Goddess of Compassion

24. Idea / Concept

25. The Original Mind

26. Archer

27. Ritsu

28. Goddess of Compassion

29. Acupuncture

30. Cherry Blossom

31. Respect / Honor / Esteem

32. Emperor

33. East

34. Diamond

35. Military Discipline

36. Leopard / Panther / Jaguar

37. Peace / Harmony

38. Family / Household

39. Word of God / The Gospel

40. Namaste - Greeting

41. Chess

42. Bushido / The Way of the Samurai

43. Dynasty

44. Archer

45. Shaolin

46. Mind Body Spirit

47. Empress

48. Taido

49. Japanese Snapping Turtle / Chinese Soft Shell Turtle

50. Kirin / Giraffe / Mythical Creature


Asia / Asian Continent

 a ji a
Asia / Asian Continent Scroll

亜細亜 is the Japanese name for the continent of Asia, the Far East, and refers to all things Asian or Asiatic.


See Also:  China | Singapore | Hong Kong | Taiwan | Japan | Vietnam | Korea | Mongolia | India | Pakistan | Iran | Iraq | Saudi Arabia

 yìn dù
 in do
India Scroll

This is the Chinese and Japanese Kanji name for the country of India, occasionally referred to as Hindustan.


See Also:  Asia

 rì běn
 nippon / nihon
Japan Scroll

This is the Chinese and Japanese Kanji name for the country of Japan.

日 means sun and 本 means origin. That is how Japan is known as the land of the rising sun (literally the place where the sun originates from).


See Also:  Asia

 miǎn diàn
 men den
Myanmar Scroll

This is the Chinese name for the country of Myanmar (formerly known as Burma).

This is occasionally used in Japanese (especially in historic documents) with the same meaning (though they also have a Katakana name for Myanmar/Burma).


See Also:  Asia

 marudibu
Maldives Scroll

This is the Japanese name for the country of Maldives.


Note: Because this title is entirely Japanese Katakana, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.


See Also:  Asia

 tái wān
 tai wan
Taiwan Scroll

台灣 is the Chinese name for the Republic of China which is more commonly known as Taiwan.

The island of Taiwan is actually considered a renegade province of mainland China. It became the last holdout of the former government of China after Chairman Mao took power during the revolution that followed WWII.


Note: There are a few ways to write Taiwan: 台湾 / 薹灣 / 台灣.

If you need a certain version, just let me know in the "Special Instructions" tab when you order.


See Also:  Asia

 kazafusutan
Kazakhstan Scroll

This is the Japanese name for the country of Kazakhstan.


Note: Because this title is entirely Japanese Katakana, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.


See Also:  Asia

 měng gǔ
 mouko
Mongolia Scroll

This is the Chinese and Japanese name for the country of Mongolia.


See Also:  China | Russia | Asia

 hokusen
North Korea Scroll

This short Japanese name for the country of North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea).

There is a 3-character name, 北朝鮮 that is a lot more common.


See Also:  South Korea | Asia

 xī zàng
 seizou / chibetto
Tibet Scroll

西藏 is the Chinese and Japanese name for Tibet.

It is a vast area in southwest China for which the Chinese government has little control (except in the capital of Llasa). During your travels in Tibet (outside of Llasa) you will find it is rough country full of ruthless bandits and honorable and upright Living Buddhas. There are about 2000 Living Buddhas in Tibet, and at least 10 times more bandits ready to ambush you on the road or trail.

On the eastern frontier of Tibet, you will find the place designated to be Shangri-la. It's a friendly village of Tibetans and is the gateway to greater Tibet.

The full official Chinese name is Tibet Autonomous Region or 西藏自治區|西藏自治区. The name here, 西藏 is quite old - from several dynasties ago.


See Also:  China | Nepal | Asia

 mareeshia
Malaysia Scroll

This is the Japanese name for the country of Malaysia.


Note: Because this title is entirely Japanese Katakana, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.


See Also:  China | Thailand | Asia

 jiǎn pǔ zhài
 kanbojia
Cambodia Scroll

柬埔寨 is a universal way to write Cambodia in Chinese characters and Japanese Kanji.

Note: There are other names and nicknames for Cambodia in both languages.


See Also:  Vietnam | Laos | Asia

 běi cháo xiǎn
 kita chousen
North Korea Scroll

北朝鮮 is the Chinese and Japanese name for the country of North Korea.

The official English name being Democratic People's Republic of Korea.


See Also:  South Korea | Asia

 yuè nán
 betonamu
Vietnam Scroll

This is the Chinese, old Korean Hanja, and Japanese Kanji name for the country of Vietnam.


See Also:  China | Cambodia | Laos | Asia

Macao / Macau

 makao
Macao / Macau Scroll

This is the Japanese name for the Chinese island of Macao (also sometimes written as Macau).


Note: Because this title is entirely Japanese Katakana, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.


See Also:  China | Hong Kong | Taiwan | Asia

 shingapooru
Singapore Scroll

This is the common Japanese name for the country of Singapore.


Note: Because this title is entirely Japanese Katakana, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.


See Also:  China | Hong Kong | Taiwan | Asia

 xiāng gǎng
 hoeng1 gong2
 hon kon
Hong Kong Scroll

This is the Chinese and Japanese name for the Special Administrative Region (SAR) of The Peoples Republic of China known as Hong Kong (formerly a British administrated territory).

The romanization “Hong Kong” is probably a British approximation of the Cantonese pronunciation for this land.


See Also:  Great Britain | China | Macao | Taiwan | Singapore | Japan | Vietnam | Korea | Asia

Beautiful Heart / Beautiful Mind

 utsukushii kokoro
Beautiful Heart / Beautiful Mind Scroll

美しい心 means “beautiful heart” or “beautiful mind,” in Japanese.

The word for “heart” also means “mind” and sometimes “soul” in ancient Asia.


Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

 shuǐ xīng
 sui shou
Mercury Scroll

水星 is the title for the planet Mercury in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

The literal meaning is “water star.” This title has been used to refer to Mercury in much of Asia for the past 2200 years or longer.

 kè kǔ
 kokku
Hard Work Scroll

刻苦 is “hard work” in Chinese characters, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

If working hard is important to you, maybe this word will state your belief on your wall (this is not a common title to see on a wall scroll in Asia).

Husband and Wife

 fū fù
 fuu fu
Husband and Wife Scroll

夫婦 are the Chinese characters, old Korean Hanja, and Japanese Kanji for “Husband and Wife.”

This can also be translated as a married couple, spouses, couple, or pair.

This is not a common selection for a calligraphy wall scroll in Asia but if it has a special meaning for you, go for it.

 pú tao jiǔ
 bu dou shu / bu dou sake
Wine Scroll

葡萄酒 is the Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja for wine.

Very specifically, this is for grape wine (an important distinction in Asia where most wines were rice-based until western influences came into play).

The first word, 葡萄 literally means grape (or grapevine), and 酒 means alcohol (generic term for alcohol, sake, wine, liquor).

Goddess of Compassion

Long or more formal Japanese version of this title

 guān shì yīn
 kan ze on
Goddess of Compassion Scroll

観世音 is the more extended and more formal Japanese version of Bodhisattva of Compassion or Guan Yin.

In Japanese, this is pronounced Kanzeon. The Chinese version is a bit more common in Asia, but in Japanese, they use a slight variation of the first character. Choose this version only if your intended audience is specifically Japanese.

Idea / Concept

 lǐ niàn
 ri nen
Idea / Concept Scroll

理念/理唸 means idea, notion, concept, principle, theory, philosophy*, or doctrine in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

This word is OK for a wall scroll, although it's more commonly used as an oral/informal word in Asia.

* This is not the title for philosophy but rather is about having a certain philosophy or approach to something.

The Original Mind

 běn xīn
 hon shin
The Original Mind Scroll

In Zen Buddhism, 本心 means “original mind” or “original heart,” which refers to one's Buddha-nature present from birth.

This can also be translated as true feelings, real intention, one's own heart, one's right mind, one's senses, one's conscience, or fundamental mind.

Note: 心 can mean heart or mind - thought in ancient Asia to be the same organ.

Archer

Ancient title for Archer

 yì rén
 yokujin
Archer Scroll

弋人 is the ancient way to write archer in both Chinese, Korean and Japanese.

If you carried a bow into battle in an army of ancient Asia, this would be your title.

Note: 弋人 is an antiquated term that is rarely used in modern Chinese, Korean or Japanese. Beyond archer, this can also mean a ceremonial hunter in Japanese.


Note: This title is so old, that most Asian people will not recognize this as a normal word. It has not been in regular use for many generations.

 lǜ
 ritsu
Ritsu Scroll

While this character literally means law, regulation or rules, it's also a surname Lü in Chinese and name Ritsu in Japanese.

In more ancient times (and for some people still), this can refer to East Asian criminal code, or vinaya (rules for the monastic community). For Japanese Buddhists, this can be the Ritsu school.

In some context, this can refer to certain musical scales used in Asia.

Goddess of Compassion

 guān yīn
 kan non
Goddess of Compassion Scroll

観音 is the specifically Japanese version of Bodhisattva of Compassion or Guan Yin.

In Japanese, this is pronounced Kannon and occasionally spelled Kwannon. The Chinese version is a bit more commonly seen in Asia. However, in Japanese, there is a slight variation with the first character.

Some time ago, a camera company in Japan named their company after this Buddhist deity. That camera company is still known as Canon (they chose a “C” instead of a “K” when they Romanized this name).

 zhēn liáo fǎ
 hari ryou hou
Acupuncture Scroll

針療法 is one of two ways to write acupuncture in Chinese and Japanese.

The first character means “needle” or “pin.” The second character means “to treat” or “to cure.” The last character means “method” or “way.”

This is the only reasonable selection if your audience is Japanese. This is the formal way to express acupuncture in Chinese, so this version is universal in most of Asia (the best all-around choice in most cases).

Cherry Blossom

 yīng huā
 ouka
Cherry Blossom Scroll

櫻花 is how to write “cherry blossom” in Chinese and traditional Japanese Kanji.

The first character means “cherry” or sometimes “cherry tree.”
The second character means “flowers” or “blossoms.”

Oddly, my Chinese dictionary also defines these two characters as “Japanese oriental cherry tree” or “Oriental cherry blossom.” However, the first character is the only one that means “cherry,” so it can refer to any cherry blossoms in the whole world (not just those in Asia).


桜There is an alternate version of the first character, which has become the standard for Japanese Kanji. If you want this version, instead of the one shown to the upper left, please click on the Kanji shown to the right instead of the button above. Although this is an alternate form in Chinese, most Chinese people will think this is just the Japanese version (Chinese people don’t necessarily know the history and all alternate forms of Chinese characters from the past). Therefore, this version shown to the right is best if your audience is Japanese (though most Japanese will recognize the form shown in the upper left).

Respect / Honor / Esteem

 zūn jìng
 sonkei
Respect / Honor / Esteem Scroll

尊敬 is how to express the ideas of respect, honor, reverence, esteem, nobility, and sometimes the state of being noble, all in one word. Most of the time, this is used as “giving respect,” but depending on the context, it can suggest that you should try to be “worthy of respect.”

Although pronounced differently, the Chinese characters, Japanese Kanji, and Korean Hanja are the same across these languages. This is an indication that this word is very old and crosses many barriers and cultures in the Orient (East Asia).

 huáng dì
 koutei
Emperor Scroll

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).


See Also:  Empress | King | Queen

 dōng
 higashi / tou
 
East Scroll

東 is the direction East in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

Sometimes used as an abbreviation for the Eastern Hemisphere.

This can also be the surname Dong in China.
In Japan, this can be an abbreviation for a kind of six-stringed zither, or the personal name, Yamato.

東 is used as a suffix for many words in Asia. In fact, it's part of the CJK word 東方 meaning Orient or Oriental. The word 東方 more literally translates as “Eastern Kingdoms,” “Eastern Countries,” or simply “The East.”

 jīn gāng
 kon gou
Diamond Scroll

金剛 is a common way to call diamonds in Chinese and Japanese.

Traditionally, there were not that many diamonds that made their way to Asia, so this word does not have the deep cultural significance that it does in the west (thanks mostly to De Beers' marketing). Therefore, this word was kind of borrowed from other uses.

This title can also refer to vajra (a Sanskrit word meaning both thunderbolt and diamond that originally refers to an indestructible substance); hard metal; pupa of certain insects; Vajrapani, Buddha's warrior attendant; King Kong; adamantine; Buddhist symbol of the indestructible truth.

Military Discipline

 jūn jì
 gun ki
Military Discipline Scroll

軍紀 means military discipline or military principles.

If maintaining your military discipline is important to you personally or important to your military unit, this is the wall scroll to have up behind your desk. In fact, it's the kind of thing I expect to see behind the desk of a First Sergeant or maybe a hardcore NCO.

Note: In some rare contexts, it could be extended to mean “morale,” but “discipline” is much closer to the commonly-held definition.

Note: This term is not well-known outside the military services in Asia (not used by the common person).


See Also:  Self-Discipline

Leopard / Panther / Jaguar

 bào
 hyou
 
Leopard / Panther / Jaguar Scroll

豹 is the Chinese and Japanese word for the big cat known as a leopard, panther, or Jaguar.

This can refer to most cats of the Panthera genus as well as the Puma genus (but this is not used for most kinds of lions, except smaller ones like the mountain lion).

Because Jaguars are not native to Asia, the characters for “American continent” is usually added before this character to specifically designate a Jaguar.

This also kind of means Panther or Leopard in Korean Hanja but in modern Korean, they add a Hangul character to complete the word.

Peace / Harmony

 hé
 wa
 
Peace / Harmony Scroll

和 is the simplest form of peace and harmony.

和 can also be translated as the peaceful ideas of gentle, mild, kind, and calm. With a more harmonious context, it can be translated as union, together with, on good terms with, or on friendly terms.

Most people would just translate this character as peace and/or harmony. 和 is a very popular character in Asian cultures - you can even call it the “peace symbol” of Asia. In fact, this peace and harmony character was seen repeatedly during the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing (a major theme of the games).


In old Chinese poems and literature, you might see this used as a kind of "and." As in two things summed together. As much as you could say, "the sun and moon," you could say "the sun in harmony with the moon."


See Also:  Inner Peace | Patience | Simplicity

Family / Household

 jiā tíng
 ka tei
Family / Household Scroll

家庭/傢庭 is a common way to express family, household, or home in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

However, for a wall scroll, we recommend the single-character form (which is just the first character of this two-character word). If you want that, just click here: Family Single-Character

The first character means “family” or “home.” The second means “courtyard” or “garden.” When combined, the meaning is a bit different, as it becomes “household” or “family.” The home and/or property traditionally has a strong relationship with family in Asia. Some Chinese, Korean, and Japanese families have lived in the same house for 7 or more generations!

Word of God / The Gospel

 fú yīn
 fukuin
Word of God / The Gospel Scroll

福音 is the Chinese, Korean and Japanese word for “Gospel” or “Word of God.”

福音 is a specifically Christian word in Asia (not used for any other religion).

The first character means blessing, good fortune, or good luck. This first character is a special character used throughout China to bring good tidings and fortune - especially during Chinese New Year. The second character means sound, noise, or news.

Together, these characters create a word that means “The Good News” or “The Sound of Good Fortune.”

When read by a Chinese or Japanese person, this word is always perceived as “The Christian Gospel,” “Word of God,” or even “The Voice of God.”


See Also:  Christianity | Jesus Christ | God of Abraham

Namaste - Greeting

 hé shí
 gou juu
Namaste - Greeting Scroll

The word namaste comes from Sanskrit and is a common greeting in the Hindi and Nepali languages exchanged by devout Hindu or Buddhist people in Southern Asia (especially India).

合十 is the Chinese form (not well-known in Japan) of this word which is used to describe a Buddhist (or Hindu) greeting with palms closed together prayerfully, generally at chest level. However, this selection of characters describes the act and is not a word spoken during the greeting. Words or a greeting are seldom spoken when two Buddhists meet. The greeting is silent and respectful but composed completely of body language.

Note that the greeting namaste and the act of placing palms together are used both as a hello and goodbye (like the word aloha in Hawaiian).


If you are looking for a welcoming hello and goodbye, you may want to consider gassho or a simple welcome.

 qí
 go
 
Chess Scroll

棋 is the most simple or generic way to write “chess” in Asia.

棋 is part of other more specific words for board games of strategy such as the western version of chess, Chinese chess, Weiqi, or Go.

In Japanese, this single character is pronounced “Go” and often refers to the game known in the west as “Go” (not just the 5-in-a-row version but also the complicated encirclement game of strategy known in China as Weiqi).

In Chinese, this can be more ambiguous as to which game of chess you speak.

If you like any version of chess, or games of intense strategy, this can be the character to hang on the wall in your game room.

Bushido / The Way of the Samurai

 wǔ shì dào
 bu shi do
Bushido / The Way of the Samurai Scroll

武士道 is the title for “The Code of the Samurai.”

Sometimes called “The Seven Virtues of the Samurai,” “The Bushido Code,” or “The Samurai Code of Chivalry.”

This would be read in Chinese characters, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja as “The Way of the Warrior,” “The Warrior's Way,” or “The Warrior's Code.”

It's a set of virtues that the Samurai of Japan and ancient warriors of China and Korea had to live and die by. However, while known throughout Asia, this title is mostly used in Japan and thought of as being of Japanese origin.

The seven commonly-accepted tenets or virtues of Bushido are Rectitude 義, Courage 勇, Benevolence 仁, Respect 礼(禮), Honour 名誉, Honesty 誠, and Loyalty 忠実. These tenets were part of oral history for generations, thus, you will see variations in the list of Bushido tenets depending on who you talk to.


See our page with just Code of the Samurai / Bushido here


See Also:  Samurai | Warrior

 dài
 dai
 
Dynasty Scroll

代 is the word used to designate dynasties in Asia.

代 alone can mean generation; age; period; historical era; eon; world; society; reign; era. 代 comes after the name of the dynasty, for example, the Tang Dynasty is the “Tang Dai” in Chinese.

Some have suggested that the word dynasty comes from the Chinese word “dai” (as “dai” sounds like the first syllable of a dynasty). However, the word dynasty is derived from the Greek word δυναστεία (dunasteia) meaning lordship and/or domination.

Sometimes this word is used in a different context where it can mean to represent or substitute. In this case, it can mean representative of; on behalf of; acting for, e.g. to offer incense in place of another.

In ancient Japan, this could also be a “shiro” (a unit of land area equal to one-fiftieth of a tan or about 20 square miles).

 shè shǒu
 i te / sha shu
Archer Scroll

射手 means archer, shooter, or marksman in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

Depending on the context, it can also mean “goal-getter” in Chinese. This would also be the word for a bowman.

射手 is modern in Asia, meaning that it's only been in use for a few hundred years. However, the more ancient version of the archer is often not even recognized by the current generation of Chinese and Japanese people.

The first character means “shoot” or “fire” (in the context of a gun or bow). It's also a suffix for radioactive things (in the context of chemistry) - radioactive things “fire off” electrons. In Japanese, the first Kanji is a short name and suffix for archery.

The second character means “hand,” but the hand can also mean a person, in the same way, that a “farmhand” is a person in English.

Shaolin

Little Forest

 shǎo lín
 sho rin
Shaolin Scroll

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.

Mind Body Spirit

 shēn xīn líng
 mi shin rei
Mind Body Spirit Scroll

身心靈 is probably the best way to express the idea of “Body, Mind, and Spirit” in Chinese and old Korean Hanja. We are actually using the word “heart” here because, for thousands of years, the heart was thought to be the place where your thoughts, feelings, and emotions came from. We do something similar in the west when we say “warm-hearted” or “I love you with all of my heart.” In this context, heart = mind in Asian language and culture.

The very literal translation of these three characters is “body, heart & spirit,” which could also be interpreted as “body, mind & soul.”

We have arranged these characters in this order because it simply “feels” like the proper order in the Chinese language. Word lists like this are not so common for calligraphy artwork, so we must be careful to put them in the most natural order. It should be noted that this is not a common title in Asia, nor is it considered an actual phrase (as it lacks a clear subject, verb, and object).


霊In Japanese Kanji, they use an alternate form of the character for soul or spirit. If you want this using the Japanese alternate, please click on the Kanji shown to the right instead of the button above.

Japanese disclaimer: This is not a natural phrase/list in Japanese. While not totally-natural in Chinese, this word list is best if your audience is Chinese.

 huáng hòu
 kou gou
Empress Scroll

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).


See Also:  Emperor | King | Queen | Phoenix

 tai dou
Taido Scroll

Taidō (The Way of the Body) is a style of Karate practiced in Japan and popular worldwide.

Taidō or 躰道 traces a lineage from Genseiryū (玄制流), which came from Shuri-te (首里手), one of the original martial arts schools of ancient Okinawa.

The first character 躰 is a variant of the original Chinese character 體. In modern Japan, they tend to use 体, a more simple character form. 体 is also the modern Simplified Chinese form of 體.
The 躰 character is correct for this 躰道 martial arts title. But it can be confusing with so many variants out there, not to mention other homophonic Japanese words that also romanize as Taidō or Taidou.

To have a bit more fun with this 躰 character, it has a 身 radical on the left, which sets it apart. The meaning doubles up on the “body” as 身 (shin) is a character that also means body in Japanese and Chinese. On the right is 本, which often means root, stem, origin, source, or fundamental (but can also mean “book” in some contexts). This has deviated from the original 體 which was 骨 (bone) + 豊 (vessel). Hence, the body was your “bone vessel” in ancient Asia.

The meaning of 躰, as well as 體 and 体, is usually translated as the body. When related to the physical body, it can also refer to the torso, trunk, build, physique, or the constitution of a person. As an extension of this, it can also refer to someone's health (good body = good health).
However, depending on the context, it can encompass other meanings such as form, style, system, experience, aspect, corpus, corporeal, substance, or essentials.

The second character, 道, is recognized and well-known as the “Way” and is the same “do” as in Karate-do or Aikido.

Japanese Snapping Turtle / Chinese Soft Shell Turtle

 biē
 suppon
 
Japanese Snapping Turtle / Chinese Soft Shell Turtle Scroll

鼈 refers to a species of turtle.

Sinensis Turtle

鼈 is Trionyx Sinensis.

鼈 refers to different turtles in different languages. See individual language notes below:

Japanese: 鼈 means “snapping turtle” or “mud turtle.” But rarely used as a single Kanji like this in Japanese.

Chinese: 鼈 means soft-shelled turtle. A specific species, Trionyx Sinensis is native to Asia.
In China, this species is related to the “wang ba,” a soft-shelled turtle sometimes known in English as a banjo turtle (due to its long neck, and general shape). Unfortunately, there is a word, “wang ba dan” which means the egg of this species of turtle. That term has come to mean “bastard” in Chinese (a turtle hatches from an abandoned egg, and does not know who his mother or father is). 鼈 is not a good selection for a wall scroll if your audience is Chinese.

In Korean, this character can be pronounced (though most Koreans would have to look it up in a dictionary). It has not been in common use in Korea for at least a few hundred years.

General notes: You may notice that the bottom half of this character is the same as some other turtle-related titles. That bottom half is actually an ancient character that means “toad.” 黽 Though not seen in this way today, most turtle-related characters hold the meaning of “a toad with a shell” in their ancient origin. That toad character is rarely used alone anymore but you can see what it looks like in the image to the right.

Kirin / Giraffe / Mythical Creature

 qí lǐn
 keilun
 kirin
Kirin / Giraffe / Mythical Creature Scroll

麒麟 is the title of a mythical beast of Asia.

The animal is thought to be related to the giraffe, and in some ways, it is a giraffe. However, it is often depicted with the horns of a dragon or deer and sometimes with the body like a horse, but many variations exist.

In Japanese, it is pronounced “Kirin” as in “Kirin Ichiban” beer.

Kirin - Mythical Beast and Great Japanese Beer!
Notes:

1. This is sometimes spelled as “kylin.”

2. In Japanese, this is the only Kanji word for giraffe. Therefore in Japan, this word needs context to know whether you are talking about the mythical creature or the long-necked giraffe of Africa.

3. Apparently, this was the first word used for regular giraffes in China (some were brought from Africa to China during the Ming Dynasty - probably around the year 1400). Though the mythical creature may have existed before, the name “qilin” was given to the “new giraffe.” This is because, more than 600 years ago, giraffes somewhat matched the mythical creature's description when Chinese people saw them for the first time. Later, to avoid such an ambiguous title, a three-character word was devised to mean a “giraffe of Africa.” The characters for “qilin” shown here are only for the mythological version in modern Chinese.

4. More information about the qilin / kirin from Wikipedia.

5. This creature is sometimes translated as the “Chinese Unicorn,” although it is generally portrayed with two horns. I think this is done more for the fantasy aspect of the unicorn and because most westerners don't know what a qilin or kirin is (this avoids a long explanation by the translator).

6. In Korean, this can mean kirin or simply giraffe (usually, the mythological creature is what they would think of when seeing these characters alone on a wall scroll).




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The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...

Title CharactersRomaji (Romanized Japanese)Various forms of Romanized Chinese
Asia
Asian Continent
亜細亜a ji a / ajia
India印度in do / indoyìn dù / yin4 du4 / yin du / yinduyin tu / yintu
Japan日本nippon / nihon
nipon / nihon
rì běn / ri4 ben3 / ri ben / ribenjih pen / jihpen
Myanmar緬甸
缅甸
men den / mendenmiǎn diàn
mian3 dian4
mian dian
miandian
mien tien
mientien
Maldivesマルディブmarudibu
Taiwan台湾 / 薹灣 / 台灣
台湾
tai wan / taiwantái wān / tai2 wan1 / tai wan / taiwant`ai wan / taiwan / tai wan
Kazakhstanカザフスタンkazafusutan
Mongolia蒙古mouko / mokoměng gǔ / meng3 gu3 / meng gu / menggumeng ku / mengku
North Korea北鮮hokusen / hokusen
Tibet西藏seizou / chibetto
seizo / chibetto
xī zàng / xi1 zang4 / xi zang / xizanghsi tsang / hsitsang
Malaysiaマレーシアmareeshia / mareshia
Cambodia柬埔寨kanbojiajiǎn pǔ zhài
jian3 pu3 zhai4
jian pu zhai
jianpuzhai
chien p`u chai
chienpuchai
chien pu chai
North Korea北朝鮮
北朝鲜
kita chousen
kitachousen
kita chosen
běi cháo xiǎn
bei3 chao2 xian3
bei chao xian
beichaoxian
pei ch`ao hsien
peichaohsien
pei chao hsien
Vietnam越南betonamuyuè nán / yue4 nan2 / yue nan / yuenanyüeh nan / yüehnan
Macao
Macau
マカオmakao
Singaporeシンガポールshingapooru
shingaporu
Hong Kong香港hon kon / honkonxiāng gǎng
xiang1 gang3
xiang gang
xianggang
hsiang kang
hsiangkang
Beautiful Heart
Beautiful Mind
美しい心utsukushii kokoro
utsukushiikokoro
utsukushi kokoro
Mercury水星sui shou / suishou / sui shoshuǐ xīng
shui3 xing1
shui xing
shuixing
shui hsing
shuihsing
Hard Work刻苦kokku / kokukè kǔ / ke4 ku3 / ke ku / kekuk`o k`u / koku / ko ku
Husband and Wife夫婦fuu fu / fuufu / fu fufū fù / fu1 fu4 / fu fu / fufu
Wine葡萄酒bu dou shu / bu dou sake
budoushu / budousake
bu do shu / bu do sake
pú tao jiǔ
pu2 tao5 jiu3
pu tao jiu
putaojiu
p`u t`ao chiu
putaochiu
pu tao chiu
Goddess of Compassion観世音kan ze on / kanzeonguān shì yīn
guan1 shi4 yin1
guan shi yin
guanshiyin
kuan shih yin
kuanshihyin
Idea
Concept
理念 / 理唸
理念
ri nen / rinenlǐ niàn / li3 nian4 / li nian / linianli nien / linien
The Original Mind本心hon shin / honshinběn xīn / ben3 xin1 / ben xin / benxinpen hsin / penhsin
Archer弋人yokujinyì rén / yi4 ren2 / yi ren / yireni jen / ijen
Ritsuritsulǜ / lu:4 / lu:
Goddess of Compassion観音kan non / kannonguān yīn / guan1 yin1 / guan yin / guanyinkuan yin / kuanyin
Acupuncture針療法
针疗法
hari ryou hou
hariryouhou
hari ryo ho
zhēn liáo fǎ
zhen1 liao2 fa3
zhen liao fa
zhenliaofa
chen liao fa
chenliaofa
Cherry Blossom櫻花
樱花 / 桜花
ouka / okayīng huā / ying1 hua1 / ying hua / yinghua
Respect
Honor
Esteem
尊敬sonkeizūn jìng / zun1 jing4 / zun jing / zunjingtsun ching / tsunching
Emperor皇帝koutei / koteihuáng dì / huang2 di4 / huang di / huangdihuang ti / huangti
East
higashi / tou
higashi / to
dōng / dong1 / dongtung
Diamond金剛
金刚
kon gou / kongou / kon gojīn gāng / jin1 gang1 / jin gang / jingangchin kang / chinkang
Military Discipline軍紀
军纪
gun ki / gunkijūn jì / jun1 ji4 / jun ji / junjichün chi / chünchi
Leopard
Panther
Jaguar
hyou / hyobào / bao4 / baopao
Peace
Harmony
wahé / he2 / heho
Family
Household
家庭 / 傢庭
家庭
ka tei / kateijiā tíng / jia1 ting2 / jia ting / jiatingchia t`ing / chiating / chia ting
Word of God
The Gospel
福音fukuinfú yīn / fu2 yin1 / fu yin / fuyin
Namaste - Greeting合十gou juu / goujuu / go juhé shí / he2 shi2 / he shi / heshiho shih / hoshih
Chessgoqí / qi2 / qich`i / chi
Bushido
The Way of the Samurai
武士道bu shi do / bushidowǔ shì dào
wu3 shi4 dao4
wu shi dao
wushidao
wu shih tao
wushihtao
Dynastydaidài / dai4 / daitai
Archer射手i te / sha shu
ite / shashu
shè shǒu / she4 shou3 / she shou / sheshou
Shaolin少林sho rin / shorinshǎo lín / shao3 lin2 / shao lin / shaolin
Mind Body Spirit身心靈 / 身心霊
身心灵
mi shin rei
mishinrei
shēn xīn líng
shen1 xin1 ling2
shen xin ling
shenxinling
shen hsin ling
shenhsinling
Empress皇后kou gou / kougou / ko gohuáng hòu
huang2 hou4
huang hou
huanghou
Taido躰道tai dou / taidou / tai do
Japanese Snapping Turtle
Chinese Soft Shell Turtle
suppon / suponbiē / bie1 / biepieh
Kirin
Giraffe
Mythical Creature
麒麟kirinqí lǐn / qi2 lin3 / qi lin / qilinch`i lin / chilin / chi lin
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.


Dictionary

Lookup Asia in Katakana in my Japanese & Chinese Dictionary


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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.


A nice Chinese calligraphy wall scroll

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.

A professional Chinese Calligrapher

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.

Trying to learn Chinese calligrapher - a futile effort

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.

A high-ranked Chinese master calligrapher that I met in Zhongwei

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 Asia in Katakana Kanji, Asia in Katakana Characters, Asia in Katakana in Mandarin Chinese, Asia in Katakana Characters, Asia in Katakana in Chinese Writing, Asia in Katakana in Japanese Writing, Asia in Katakana in Asian Writing, Asia in Katakana Ideograms, Chinese Asia in Katakana symbols, Asia in Katakana Hieroglyphics, Asia in Katakana Glyphs, Asia in Katakana in Chinese Letters, Asia in Katakana Hanzi, Asia in Katakana in Japanese Kanji, Asia in Katakana Pictograms, Asia in Katakana in the Chinese Written-Language, or Asia in Katakana in the Japanese Written-Language.