京

A Capital Idea
In some ways, it’s easy to master 京. After all, it appears with its Joyo on-yomi
Character Profile キョウ in these ultra-common names:
Meanings:
capital; Tokyo; Kyoto 東京 (とうきょう: Tokyo) eastern + capital

Joyo yomi: 京都 (きょうと: Kyoto) capital + capital

On: キョウ, ケイ　
Kun: None
In names: あつ, おさむ, たかし, ちか, ひろし
We’ll almost always see 京 as キョウ, though the on readings ケイ and キン are
also significant in certain contexts. (Note that all three start with k!)
Types of on-yomi:
呉音 (ごおん, from Chinese readings of Once you’ve learned 東京 and 京都, you’re well equipped to read the many
the 5th–6th c.): キョウ compounds containing these names. Here are perhaps the simplest examples:
漢音 (かんおん, from Chinese readings of
the 7th–8th c.): ケイ
唐音 (とうおん, from Chinese readings of
東京人 (とうきょうじん: person from Tokyo) Tokyo (1st 2 kanji) + person
the 12th c. and onward): キン
京都人 (きょうとじん: person from Kyoto) Kyoto (1st 2 kanji) + person
Keywords for remembering the yomi:
キョウ: 京都 (きょうと: Kyoto) What’s left to know, then? Well, 京 serves up as many complications as Tokyo
ケイ: 京阪 (けいはん: Kyoto-Osaka)
and Kyoto themselves. In fact, this kanji can represent either city, and that
Relative importance and difficulty: overlap alone could theoretically prompt confusion, though I doubt it often
61st most-used kanji in newspapers does. Then, too, consider these matters:
Learned in junior high school in Japan
JLPT level: N4 • The capital of Japan has moved many times, leaving traces of that history on
the language.
Radical:
亠 (なべぶた: the “lid” radical)
Note: To learn more about this radical, see • We’ll see 京 paired with all cardinal directions—east, west, north, and south—
Radical Note 8. but 西京 and 南京 aren’t as logical as you would think.

Don’t confuse 京 with these look-alikes:
就 (890: to start), 哀 (998: sorrow), 亭 (1614:
house)
Note: The 京 kanji is part of two echoing
series. For more on this, see Sidebar 1.
Strokes: 8
1 2 3 4
• The Japanese have devised scads of words for going to Tokyo, being in the
metropolis, and leaving that area. Most are intuitive, but one is a puzzler.
• Several proverbs about Tokyo and Kyoto are quite surprising, so they serve as
the basis of quiz questions!
The first surprise in store for you is that, according to two shirts in the image
below, Michael Jackson isn’t dead!

If you can push past the Mi-

chael Jackson misinforma-
5 6 7 8 tion, there’s another possible
error to consider. The middle
Read All About It! two shirts proclaim their love
Halpern 1297/1766 for 東京, but on the black one
Henshall 99/110 that name seems to have
Kanshudo Click here been translated as “Japan”!
Denshi Jisho Click here Photo Credit: Kevin Hamilton

www.joyokanji.com © Eve Kushner 2021 Revised: February 18, 2021 Version 1.2 Kanji number: 99 1

Etymology Box
The newer edition of Henshall refers
to older forms of our main character,
one of which looks just like this:
© Richard Sears
Bronze-script version.
Henshall says that such shapes seem
to show a building atop either a hill
or an artificial mound of earth. Two
scholars favor this view, and Henshall
supports it by noting that ancient Chi-
nese nobles often lived in houses ele-
vated above the rest of the populace.
He then cites a researcher who ar-
gues that the early shape depicted a
“watchtower over an arched gate.”
Henshall concludes that in either case,
we can see the character as “a struc-
ture controlled by those in positions
of power.” This, he says, led to ex-
tended meanings such as “great” and
“capital (city).”
Kanjigen offers something similar,
saying that the upper half of this
pictograph represents a multistory
building (just as the top part of 高
does). Meanwhile, the lower half sym-
bolizes a slightly elevated hill. The
whole character means “high, bright,
and large.” In ancient times, says that
source, people avoided floods and
dampness by building villages on ele-
vated, bright hills, which later evolved
into central cities. That’s how the kanji
came to mean “capital.” (“Central cit-
ies” seems strange and unclear but
is faithful to the text in Kanjigen. The
idea must be that the ruler lived in
the middle of the settlement. “Bright
hills” is also weird and may allude to
how sunlit the land is, up above the
damp lower ground.)
I’m intrigued that the Kanjigen inter-
pretation portrays a much more egali-
tarian living situation than the first
Henshall etymology did.
www.joyokanji.com © Eve Kushner 2021 Revised: February 18, 2021 Kanji number: 99
The Singleton 京
When 京 stands alone as a word, the meanings cover quite a range:
京 (きょう or けい: (1) imperial capital (esp. Kyoto); (2) final syllable of
the iroha poem; (3) 10,000,000,000,000,000; ten quadrillion)
The first definition refers to the time when Japan was an empire with Kyoto as
its capital. We’ll come back to that. That initial sense of the word works only
with the きょう yomi. People usually read the term as けい when it comes to the
third definition. According to Wikipedia, that last sense of the word is obsolete
in China, but people still use it in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. To under-
stand the second meaning, see Sidebar 2.
Our main character can also stand alone with the non-Joyo kun-yomi みやこ,
in which case the meanings change considerably from what we saw in the last
term:
都 or 京 (みやこ: (1) capital (esp. Kyoto, Japan’s former capital);
seat of government; (2) capital (of music, fashion, etc.);
city (e.g., of light); (3) location of the Imperial Palace)
Here 京 is the alternate rendering; みやこ is a Joyo kun reading of 都, so people
mainly write みやこ with that kanji.
The two characters join forces in this term:
京の都 (きょうのみやこ: Kyoto) capital + capital
Today nobody uses this word in conversation (though it’s the name of some
sweets made in Kyoto, as well as the name of some Kyoto shops), but it’s note-
worthy because 京の都 later became 京都. When that happened, the yomi of 都
changed to ト.
The Moving Capital
Simply moving from one apartment to another is exhausting. I can’t imagine
how much work goes into relocating a capital. Despite the huge challenges,
that has happened quite a few times in Japan, as you can see from a very long
list of its capitals. Here are some of note:
平城京 (へいじょうきょう: Nara as the capital, 710–740, 745–784)
peace + city + capital
Apparently, 平城 is in the name because this capital was meant to serve as the
basis of lasting peace (平). Although 城 usually represents “castle,” it means
“city” here.
We again find 平 at the head of the next name:
平安京 (へいあんきょう: Kyoto as the capital, 794–1868)
Heian (1st 2 kanji) + capital
Literally meaning “Heian capital,” 平安京 reflects that Kyoto became the capital
at the start of the Heian era (794–1185).3 The Japanese used this name until
1868, when the capital moved to Tokyo.4
2

Two Echoing Series1
When characters share a component
that serves as the phonetic, we often
find a common on-yomi “echoing”
through the series of kanji. But with
京 we have a twist on this situation
because 京 belongs to two echoing
series.
That is, 京 shares the shape and a
キョウ yomi with this kanji:
享 (1162: to enjoy, キョウ）
Meanwhile, 京 as ケイ shares the 京
shape with the following kanji, which
carry ケイ or ゲイ readings:
景 (469: scene, ケイ), 鯨 (1208:
whale, ゲイ), and 憬 (1997: to
yearn, ケイ)
Iroha2
The second sense of 京, “the final syl-
lable of the iroha poem,” confused me,
so let’s look at it closely.
Iroha, or いろは, is the name of the
traditional order of the Japanese sylla-
bary. That is, い, ろ, and は are the first
three kana in that syllabary, just as A,
B, and C start off the English alphabet.
The いろは syllabary came about in
1079 (or possibly before) when some-
one invented a poem that used all
basic archaic syllables only once. My
proofreader thinks of the poem and
the いろは syllabary as being the same
thing. This famous poem is called 伊呂
波歌 (いろはうた), where 伊 is non-Joyo.
Originally, the いろは syllabary had
only 47 characters. Later, ん came into
existence, and the Japanese added it
to the end of the いろは poem.
Though the syllabary is a collection of
kana, the Japanese created all-kana
and all-kanji versions of the poem. In
the latter kind, 京 represented the ん.
As it happens, the Japanese used to
tack a specific kanji (often 京 or the
non-Joyo 无) onto the ends of poems,
signifying that they were over. With
the all-kanji version of いろは, people
read both the 京 and 无 as ん, though
it’s not as if 京 ever truly carries the ん
sound.
Thus, 京 served double duty, complet-
ing the syllabary and signaling its end.
www.joyokanji.com © Eve Kushner 2021 Revised: February 18, 2021 Kanji number: 99
After Tokyo became the capital, its name changed. What had long been called
江戸 (えど: Edo) became 東京, the “eastern capital.” As for Kyoto, it was still
named 京都, but people also started referring to the city as the “western capital,”
a counterpoint to 東京. This was the nickname:
西京 (さいきょう: western capital; Kyoto) western + capital
Nowadays, no one uses 西京 by itself for either of its senses, but the term lives
on as a prefix.5
Moving the capital to Tokyo was just one of several transformations in Japan at
that time. Until then the shoguns had been in charge, and the emperor had no
political power, though he wielded full authority as the head of the Shinto re-
ligion. All that changed in 1868 when the Tokugawa shogunate was abolished
and the emperor became the leader of the country in both political and Shinto
spheres. In 1895, with the colonization of Taiwan, Japan became an imperial
power intent on expanding its territory. This name then applied to the capital
city:
帝京 (ていきょう: Tokyo; imperial capital) imperial + capital
After World War II, imperial Japan existed no longer, so Tokyo ceased to be the
imperial capital. This word fell into disuse, though it’s still in the name of a high
school and university, both of which are rather famous.
In Tokyo, a sign at Meiji Shrine says in Eng-
lish (at the bottom, which I’ve cut off) that in
1868, Emperor Meiji (who lived from 1852 to
1912 and reigned from 1867 to 1912) moved
the Imperial Palace from Kyoto to Tokyo. Of
course, a building didn’t move. Rather, the im-
perial family did. The point is simply that the
capital changed and that Japan began to be
governed from Tokyo.
The largest Japanese writing on the sign is
brief but nevertheless contains 東京 twice:
東京奠都
Transferring the Capital (to) Tokyo
奠都 (てんと: transferring the
capital, where 奠 is non-Joyo)
明治天皇、東京ヘ
Emperor Meiji (Moves) to Tokyo
明治天皇 (めいじてんのう:
Emperor Meiji)
Incidentally, one site tells us that at the start
of the Meiji era (1868–1912), people pro-
nounced 東京 as とうけい. That yomi has be-
come outdated, of course. But now we know
that the emperor didn’t really move to Tokyo.
Instead, it was to Tokei!
Photo Credit: Eve Kushner
3
 On 京洛3
I was quite surprised that the non-
Joyo 洛 means “Kyoto” or “the capital.”
At one point 洛陽 (らくよう: Luoyang)
served as the Chinese capital, so some
Heian-era Japanese people referred to
平安京 as 洛陽, according to Wikipedia.
Because of that, 洛 came to mean “the
capital” and to indicate Kyoto, inspir-
ing this word:
京洛 (きょうらくor けいらく: capital)
capital + Kyoto; capital
This wasn’t the name of the capital.
Rather, it was a generic term for “capi-
tal,” one that often referred to Kyoto.
No one uses 京洛 nowadays.
Quick Quiz 1
1. I’ve provided a literal translation of the following phrase:
京の夢、大阪の夢
The dreams of Kyoto, the dreams of Osaka
夢* (ゆめ: dream); 大阪 (おおさか: Osaka)
What does this phrase really mean? Choose one option:
a. Rural people always dream of being in big cities.
b. Our dreams can transcend time and space.
c. Kyoto and Osaka differ dramatically, but the residents
of each city dream of similar things.
d. People in Kyoto and Osaka dream of entirely
different things.

Two Capitals4 2. What did people once say about the water in Kyoto, the 京の水
(きょうのみず: water from the capital), when that city was the capi-
When a country has had (or still has) tal? Choose an option:
two capitals, this term applies:

両京 (りょうきょう: two capitals (e.g., a. The water is the most delicious in the country.
Tokyo and Kyoto)) 2 + capitals b. The water is the worst-tasting in the country.
c. The water is metaphorically polluted by corruption.
Japan, Korea, and China have all had d. The water is so clean that it is rumored to have
multiple capitals. Japan had two si-
a whitening effect.
multaneously from 1868 through
1871, when both Kyoto and Tokyo
served that function. But the keyword
applies even when two cities aren’t
capitals at the same time.

On 西京 in Food Terms5
We find the prefix 西京- in this food-
related vocabulary:

西京焼き or 西京焼 (さいきょうやき:

Kyoto-style grilled fish; fish slices
marinated overnight in Kyoto-style
miso, then grilled)
Kyoto (1st 2 kanji) + grilled

西京漬け or 西京漬 (さいきょうづけ:

fish marinated in Kyoto-style
miso)
Kyoto (1st 2 kanji) + pickled

Both terms involve a kind of miso made

in Kyoto:

西京味噌 (さいきょうみそ: Kyoto-

style miso; Kyoto-style sweet white
bean paste (esp. used for marinat-
ing fish))
Kyoto (1st 2 kanji) +
miso (last 2 kanji)

The 噌 is non-Joyo. The Japanese use

this miso for many things, not just fish.
www.joyokanji.com © Eve Kushner 2021 Revised: February 18, 2021 Kanji number: 99 4
 This sign is all business, as you can see from the vocabulary:

東京都 (とうきょうと: Tokyo Metropolis)

飯田橋 (いいだばし: Iidabashi)
庁舎 (ちょうしゃ: government office building)

The セントラルプラザ (Central Plaza) is the name of the build-
ing, which is for governing 東京都, as opposed to Japan as
a whole or the infinitely smaller district of Iidabashi. This
building is the Iidabashi branch of the Tokyo metropolitan
government, which is known as follows:

東京都庁 (とうきょうとちょう: Tokyo metropolitan

government)
Tokyo Metropolis (1st 3 kanji) +
government office

The government has its headquarters in Shinjuku.

We can refer to the process of running Tokyo as follows:

東京都政 (とうきょうとせい: governing

the Tokyo Metropolis)
Tokyo (1st 2 kanji) + metropolitan
government (of Tokyo) (last 2 kanji)

Let’s return to 東京都. Most prefecture names end in -県

(-けん), but the suffix for Tokyo is -都 (-と), which indicates
that Tokyo is a “metropolitan prefecture.” Osaka and Kyoto
have a -府 (-ふ) suffix. Wikipedia says that the -府 “implies a
core urban zone of national importance.” (Fun fact: Tokyo
was called 東京府 from 1868 until 1943.) Meanwhile, Hok-
kaido is a -道 (-どう), a “circuit.”

I love how 東京都 looks like a mashup of 東京 and 京都. The-

oretically, 東京都 could mean “east Kyoto,” though there’s
no place with that name.
Photo Credit: Eve Kushner

Answers to Quick Quiz 1

1.b. 京の夢、大阪の夢 (きょうのゆめおおさかのゆめ: Kyoto + dream + Osaka (next 2 kanji) + dream) origi-
nally meant that our dreams can transcend time and space, whether we are in Kyoto or Osaka. The expres-
sion came to mean that each person has his or her own wishes. My proofreader has never heard of this
phrase and isn’t sure whether or not people use it.

2.d. 京の水 (きょうのみず: capital + water) meant that the water from Kyoto, the capital, was so clean that
it was rumored to have a whitening effect on clothing when people did laundry. This expression is archaic.

www.joyokanji.com © Eve Kushner 2021 Revised: February 18, 2021 Kanji number: 99 5
Tokyo Terms
I said at the outset that many compounds contain the name 東京. Most are self-explanatory, and it’s impractical to intro-
duce them all, but let’s discuss a few.

Here’s how the Japanese refer to two terms related to World War II:

東京大空襲 (とうきょうだいくうしゅう: Great Tokyo Air Raid (firebombing of Tokyo, Mar. 10, 1945))
Tokyo (1st 2 kanji) + major air raid (last 3 kanji)

東京裁判6 (とうきょうさいばん: Tokyo Trial) Tokyo (1st 2 kanji) + trial (last 2 kanji)

Not 20 years after the war, Tokyo hosted a much happier event in 1964:
Tokyo Trial6
東京オリンピック (とうきょうオリンピック: Tokyo Olympics, 1964, 2020)
Wikipedia says that from 1946 to 1948,
the leaders of imperial Japan (includ- 東京五輪 (とうきょうごりん: Tokyo Olympics, 1964, 2020)
ing several former prime ministers) Tokyo (1st 2 kanji) + Olympics (last 2 kanji)
were tried for three types of crimes:
joint conspiracy to start and wage war,
conventional war crimes, and crimes
The terms refer to both the 1964 Olympics and the games that were planned for
against humanity. 2020, only to be postponed (and perhaps eventually canceled) because of the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Eleven countries (Australia, Canada,
China, France, India, the Netherlands, In 東京五輪 (which is not as common as 東京オリンピック), the 五輪 (5 + rings)
New Zealand, the Philippines, the So- means “Olympics” but literally represents the five interlocking rings in the Olym-
viet Union, the United Kingdom, and
the United States) provided judges
pic logo.
and prosecutors for this military trial.
Life isn’t all fun and games. It’s also about adult things like stocks, so these terms
Twenty-eight defendants were are terribly important for some people:
charged. Two died as the trials
dragged on, and one was deemed
東京株式市場 (とうきょうかぶしきしじょう: Tokyo Stock Exchange)
unfit to stand trial. All of the remain-
ing defendants were found guilty of 　 Tokyo (1st 2 kanji) + stock (next 2 kanji) + market (last 2 kanji)
at least one count. Sentences ranged
from seven years’ imprisonment to 東京証券取引所 (とうきょうしょうけんとりひきじょ: Tokyo Stock Exchange)
execution. Tokyo (1st 2 kanji) + stock exchange (last 5 kanji)

The second name is more common, referred to more concisely as 東証 (とうしょう).

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 The part of interest to us in this sign is the smaller writing on the
lower left, 東京電力 (とうきょうでんりょく: Tokyo Electric Power), also
known as TEPCO. That abbreviation comes from the first letters in
“Tokyo Electric Power,” plus “Co.” for “Company.” The sign is posted
on this footbridge in Oze National Park on Honshu:

ヨッピ吊橋
Yoppi Suspension Bridge
吊橋 (つりばし: suspension bridge,
where 吊 is non-Joyo)

This bridge crosses the Yoppi River in Gunma Prefecture on Honshu,
taking us far from Tokyo, despite the 東京 in the TEPCO name. The
parenthetical part of the sign is as follows:

定員10名
10-person limit
定員 (ていいん: fixed number);
-名 (-めい: counter for people)

If I were writing the sign, I wouldn’t parenthesize this vital point.

It’s hard to determine TEPCO’s connection here, but the company

most likely built the bridge and still manages it.

Photo Credit: Samuel

www.joyokanji.com © Eve Kushner 2021 Revised: February 18, 2021 Kanji number: 99 7
 On this book cover, the needle-shaped structure
is 東京スカイツリー (Tokyo Skytree), the world’s
tallest broadcasting tower. We find that name in
the second column from the left, but let’s go in
order. The title is as follows:

「墨田区•江東区」
Sumida and Koto Wards
墨田区 (すみだく: Sumida Ward);
江東区 (こうとうく: Koto Ward)

「今昔散歩東京スカイツリーの見える街」
Past and Present Walks Through Towns
from Which Tokyo Skytree Is Visible
今昔 (こんじゃく: past and present);
散歩 (さんぽ: stroll); 見える (みえる:
to be visible); 街 (まち: town)

You needn’t visit those wards to leverage your

knowledge of 東京; other attractions with 東京 in
their names include 東京ドーム (とうきょうドーム:
Tokyo Dome), which is a stadium, and 東京タワー
(とうきょうタワー: Tokyo Tower), which is the sec-
ond-tallest structure in Japan after Tokyo Skytree.

Photo Credit: Lutlam

Being in the Capital

When a person is in the Japanese capital, this common term applies:

在京 (ざいきょう: being in the capital (i.e., Tokyo, or formerly Kyoto)) being in + capital

As these sentences show, 在京 can function as a noun or a する verb:

彼は在京中に多くの旧友に会った。
He met many old friends while staying in Tokyo.
彼* (かれ: he); -中 (-ちゅう: during); 多く(おおく: many);
旧友 (きゅうゆう: old friend); 会う (あう: to meet)

3か月前から在京している。
I’ve been in the capital three months.
3か月 (さんかげつ: three months);
前 (まえ: before)

One might think that 在京 and 在東京 would be synonymous, but they aren’t:

在東京 (ざいとうきょう: located in Tokyo) being in + Tokyo (last 2 kanji)

People use this term mainly for embassies and consulates, not for individuals.

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The next word might also seem synonymous with 在京 but is only for short visits:

滞京 (たいきょう: staying in Tokyo) staying in + capital

Like 在京, this noun can become a する verb.

Traveling to and from Tokyo

This is hands-down the most confusing term in the essay:

出京 (しゅっきょう: (1) leaving for the capital; (2) leaving the capital) leaving + capital

The definitions are antonyms! Doesn’t this cause communication difficulties? It might if people used this formal term,
which apparently they seldom do (and probably only in writing). At least my proofreader has never heard it. She feels
that if someone did, context would clarify matters.

Still, I wondered why anyone would use this word instead of referring specifically to Tokyo. I had the same question
about the next terms, all of which can become する verbs:

離京 (りきょう: departure from the capital; leaving Tokyo or Kyoto) leaving + capital

退京 (たいきょう: leaving the capital; leaving Tokyo) leaving + capital

入京 (にゅうきょう: entering the capital; entering Tokyo) entering + capital

My proofreader explained that these words, which are all formal, applied to Kyoto before the Meiji period. In fact, people
still use 離京 to mean “leaving Tokyo or Kyoto.” This term can’t apply to other world capitals, only to those two Japanese
cities.

Aside from the fact that some people still speak as if Kyoto were the capital, all those terms are logical enough. This one
is less so:

上京 (じょうきょう : going to the capital (Tokyo)) going up to the capital + capital

Although 上 usually means “above, up,” Halpern says it represents “going up to the capital” in this case. Here are two
ways of using the common term 上京 (which has a cool internal rhyme and sounds just like 状況, “situation”):

彼は英語を勉強するつもりで上京した。
He went to Tokyo to study English.
英語 (えいご: English); 勉強 (べんきょう:
studying); つもり (intention)

彼は上京するたびに私たちの家に泊まる。
Whenever he comes to Tokyo, he stays with us.
たびに (度に: whenever); 私たち (わたしたち: we, us);
家 (いえ: house); 泊まる (とまる: to stay at)

As these examples reflect, the keyword can work as a する verb.

The next terms stand out because they refer specifically to Tokyo with the full name 東京, not just 京:

東京着 (とうきょうちゃく: arriving in Tokyo) Tokyo (1st 2 kanji) + arriving

東京発 (とうきょうはつ: departing Tokyo) Tokyo (1st 2 kanji) + departing

東京行き (とうきょうゆき or とうきょういき: Tokyo-bound) Tokyo (1st 2 kanji) + bound for

www.joyokanji.com © Eve Kushner 2021 Revised: February 18, 2021 Kanji number: 99 9
 People use these words only for vehicles, particularly for public transportation
Kanto City Abbreviations with fixed departure times, as in these examples:

In certain contexts the Japanese ab- 東京発123便は何時に到着しますか。

breviate 東京 as 京, reading that kanji What time does Flight 123 from Tokyo arrive?
as ケイ. Other major cities also have
one-kanji shorthand for their names. -便* (-びん: flight); 何時 (なんじ: what time);
Combining 京 with various abbrevia- 到着 (とうちゃく: arrival)
tions yields the names of train lines
in Kanto (Tokyo and environs), as in 東京発001便で来ました。
these examples: I was on Flight 001 from Tokyo.
来る (くる: to come)
京成 (けいせい: Tokyo-Narita)
Tokyo + Narita
The next term is similar to 東京行き but applies to both roads and air routes:
京葉 (けいよう: Tokyo-Chiba)
Tokyo + Chiba 至東京 (いたるとうきょう: leading to Tokyo)
leading to + Tokyo (last 2 kanji)
京浜 (けいひん: Tokyo-Yokohama)
Tokyo + Yokohama
Unlike the other keywords, this one has 東京 at the end, not the beginning.
Each kanji represents one end of the
line. You could also use such abbrevia- Finally, here’s a word for those who leave Tokyo and then return:
tions to refer to the area between and
including the two cities. 帰京 (ききょう: (1) returning to Tokyo; (2) returning to the capital)
Note that with these terms we need to returning to + Tokyo (last 2 kanji)
read all kanji with their Joyo on-yomi.
The second definition of this common word was the original meaning. Here’s an
It’s quite surprising to me that the ab- example of the keyword in its first sense:
breviation for 東京 is 京, not 東. This is
especially odd because, as we’ll see, 京
来月帰京する予定です。
is strongly associated with Kyoto. My
proofreader figures that people use 京 I’m going to return to Tokyo next month.
for “Tokyo” in such situations because 来月 (らいげつ: next month); 予定 (よてい: plan)
東 primarily means “east,” which could
prove confusing, For instance, if 東浜 As this reflects, 帰京 can become a する verb.
were a way of saying “Tokyo and Yo-
kohama,” that term would look like
“eastern beach.”

Quick Quiz 2
If 上京 (じょうきょう) means “going to the capital (Tokyo),” and if 中
primarily means “middle; in; among; during; throughout; China; to
hit the target,” then what could this term mean:

中京 (ちゅうきょう)

a. going to China d. Nagoya

b. throughout the capital e. Osaka
c. majority rule f. Kobe

www.joyokanji.com © Eve Kushner 2021 Revised: February 18, 2021 Kanji number: 99 10
 Photo Credit: Christopher Acheson

This photo from a Tokyo train station contains three references to 京急 (けいきゅう: Keikyu Railways), which is short for 京浜急
行電鉄 (けいひんきゅうこうでんてつ: Keikyu Corporation), the name of a private railroad company.

The large blue writing at the top is as follows:

京急線のりば
Railway Platforms for Keikyu Lines
-線* (-せん: line); のりば (乗り場: railway platform)

Here’s what the black writing says (and I’ve supplied the parts that are cut off):

ここから先、京急線の乗車券•入場券が必要(です。)
From here on you need either a Keikyu (Railways) Line
ticket or a ticket giving nontravelers access to the train platform.
先 (さき: ahead); 乗車券 (じょうしゃけん: ticket); 入場券 (にゅうじょうけん:
ticket allowing a nontraveler access to a railway station platform);
必要 (ひつよう: necessary)

京急品川駅高輪口への通り抜けはできま(せん。)
You cannot reach the Takanawa exit of Keikyu Shinagawa Station through this gate.
品川駅 (しながわえき: Shinagawa Station); 高輪口 (たかなわぐち: Takanawa exit);
通り抜け (とおりぬけ: passing through)

As to what Keikyu Shinagawa Station is, there are two Shinagawa stations, one belonging to JR, the other to Keikyu. This
photo shows where the two join.

www.joyokanji.com © Eve Kushner 2021 Revised: February 18, 2021 Kanji number: 99 11
 Answer to Quick Quiz 2
d. 中京 (ちゅうきょう: middle + capital) means “Nagoya.” That city lies right between Tokyo (東京) and
Kyoto (京都)—hence the name 中京.

As 上京 and 中京 are valid terms, you might be wondering whether 下京 is, too. Indeed, 下京 (しもぎょう)
is the name of a ward in Kyoto City.

Kyoto
Speaking of Kyoto, let’s now examine 京 in the context of this city:

京都 (きょうと: Kyoto) capital + capital

Unlike Tokyo, there don’t seem to be contemporary terms about going to or leaving Kyoto. But of course, many words
such as 上京 once referred to Kyoto.

The name 京都 represents both the city and the prefecture, introducing ambiguity. It’s clearer to use these more com-
plete terms for each one:

京都市 (きょうとし: Kyoto City) Kyoto (1st 2 kanji) + city

京都府 (きょうとふ: Kyoto Prefecture) Kyoto (1st 2 kanji) + prefecture

We’ve seen the term 京都人 (きょうとじん: person from Kyoto). In

the title of this book, that word contrasts with two others of the
same sort:

「こんなに違う京都人と大阪人と神戸人」
Here’s How Natives of Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe Differ
こんなに (this much); 違う (ちがう: to differ);
大阪人 (おおさかじん: person from Osaka);
神戸人 (こうべじん: person from Kobe)

According to the Amazon description, Kyoto natives are fussy,

Osakans are energetically service-minded, and Kobe people are
relaxed. The author looks to the history of each city to explain
how these distinct personalities evolved.

With all that established, it might be worth looking at how Kyoto

residents differ by gender and age. According to various Japa-
nese expressions, a Kyoto woman is beautiful and feminine, a
Kyoto man is unique and sexy, and Kyoto youngsters are noisy
and gossipy! Sure! Here are ways of referring to these groups:

京女 (きょうおんな: Kyoto woman) Kyoto + woman

京男 (きょうおとこ: Kyoto man) Kyoto + man

京童 (きょうわらべ or きょうわらんべ or きょうわらわ: (1) Kyoto’s

children; (2) Kyoto’s young people, who are noisy and who
gossip on the least pretext) Kyoto + child

京童部 (きょうわらべ: (1) Kyoto’s children; (2) Kyoto’s young

people, who are noisy and who gossip on the least pretext)
Kyoto + child (last 2 kanji)
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 My proofreader doesn’t know if people who actually live in Kyoto use either of the first two terms, but she notes that Kyoto
isn’t the only major city to have this sort of thing; men from Kyushu are reputedly brave, whereas Akita women are known
for being beautiful with white skin.

As to why Kyoto youngsters get such a bum rap, she couldn’t find solid information but suspects that the two kid-related
terms are quite old. Nowadays the rest of Japan doesn’t see Kyoto’s children that way, she said, but maybe they once seemed
noisy and gossipy to those in other regions.

The adults of Kyoto haven’t been immune to that charge, judging by this term:

京雀 (きょうすずめ: gossipy Kyotoite) Kyoto + talkative person

The non-Joyo 雀 literally symbolizes “sparrow” but can mean “talkative person” or “person who knows a lot about some-
thing.” Thus, 京雀 came to refer to locals who know Kyoto well and adore gossip. These days, no one uses this term.

Kyoto Products
Kyocera This word intrigues me because I haven’t encountered a comparable word for
other major Japanese cities:
You may have heard of Kyocera, an
electronics company that’s well
京物 (きょうもの: Kyoto products) Kyoto + thing
known, especially for mobile phones.
Founded as 京都セラミック株式会社
(きょうとセラミックかぶしきが いしゃ: The products of this history-rich city tend to reflect traditional craftsmanship:
Kyoto Ceramic Company, Ltd.) in 1959,
the company was given this name in 京友禅 (きょうゆうぜん: (1) Kyoyuzen dyeing; (2) Kyoto printed silk)
1982: Kyoto + a dyeing method; silk printed with this process
京セラ (きょうセラ: Kyocera)
(last 2 kanji)

The 京 here means 京都, and the セラ 京人形 (きょうにんぎょう: Kyoto doll) Kyoto + doll (last 2 kanji)
is short for セラミック (ceramics). To me
the name is funny, as the company Food is also a big focus in Kyoto. Here’s one example of that:
seems to make everything but pottery.
However, it started out by manufac-
turing ceramics.
京菓子 (きょうがし: traditional Kyoto-style confectionery)
Kyoto + confection (last 2 kanji)

This is a collective term for many types of confections originally made in Kyoto.
Kyoto Protocol In the tea ceremony today, people serve these traditional confections.

Nearly two hundred countries signed You’ll find more edible examples in the next photo caption.
the following international treaty:

京都議定書 (きょうとぎていしょ:
Kyoto Protocol)
Kyoto (1st 2 kanji) +
protocol (last 3 kanji)

Adopted in Kyoto on December 11,

1997, the agreement takes aim at cli-
mate change and requires participat-
ing countries to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions, which have likely
warmed our atmosphere.

www.joyokanji.com © Eve Kushner 2021 Revised: February 18, 2021 Kanji number: 99 13
 Photo Credit: Kevin Hamilton

To understand this part of a Tokyo sign, which directs people to a restaurant called 先斗入ル (ぽんといる), we need to know
these terms:

先斗 (ぽんと: name of a place in Kyoto)

京風 (きょうふう: (1) Kyoto style; (2) urbanity; refinement) Kyoto + style

Kyoto isn’t generally considered more stylish than other places in Japan; the first definition of 京風 mainly pertains to food.
The dish 京風スパゲッティー (Kyoto-style spaghetti) includes a type of dashi (fishy soup stock) made in the Kyoto way (that is,
with kombu, a kind of kelp), as well as other ingredients from Kyoto, particularly vegetables. Those are known as follows:

京野菜 (きょうやさい: Kyoto vegetables; vegetables traditionally grown in and around Kyoto)
Kyoto + vegetable (last 2 kanji)

Compared with regular vegetables, Kyoto veggies are notably nutritious and more expensive. Famous ones from that area
include 大根 (だいこん: Japanese radish), 壬生菜 (みぶな: a variety of wild mustard, where 壬 is non-Joyo), and 水菜 (みずな:
potherb mustard). If the last kind is grown in Kyoto, it goes by the following name:

京菜 (きょうな: potherb mustard) Kyoto + greens

Sometimes people refer to Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe in one fell

swoop with this term:

京阪神 (けいはんしん: Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe (area))

Kyoto + Osaka + Kobe

For instance, 京阪神間で means “in the Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe area.”

The -間 (-かん) means “among.”

The word 京阪神 heads off the title of this book:

「京阪神便利情報地図」
Convenient, Informative Maps of the Keihanshin Area
便利* (べんり: convenient); 情報 (じょうほう: information);
地図 (ちず: map)

The yellow numbers on the cover refer to the scale of the maps.
The largest writing at the bottom joins 街 (まち: town) with 達人
(たつじん: expert), meaning “town expert.”

Let’s return to 京阪神 and the thinking behind it. Just as people
use one-kanji abbreviations for Tokyo and major cities in that
area, quite a few cities in the Kansai (Osaka and environs) area
have single-character abbreviations that we again should read
with Joyo on-yomi:

阪 (ハン), representing Osaka

神 (シン), representing Kobe
京 (ケイ), representing Kyoto
奈 (ナ), representing Nara

www.joyokanji.com © Eve Kushner 2021 Revised: February 18, 2021 Kanji number: 99 14
 As we’ve seen, 京 (ケイ) can represent either Tokyo or Kyoto! Context is essential for keeping the two abbreviations straight.

The first kanji in 京阪神 (けいはんしん: Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe (area)) means “Kyoto,” and that’s of course still true in this shorter
combination of city names:

京阪 (けいはん: Kyoto-Osaka) Kyoto + Osaka

This word pops up all over the place, particularly in the names of department stores, malls, and buses. One railway company
is called 京阪 or 京阪電車 (けいはんでんしゃ), both abbreviations of this name:

京阪電気鉄道 (けいはんでんきてつどう: Keihan Electric Railway)

Kyoto + Osaka + electric (next 2 kanji) + railway (last 2 kanji)

Here’s a way of using 京阪 to refer to this railway company:

淀屋橋から京都三条に行くには京阪が便利だ。
From Yodoyabashi, it would be convenient to take the Keihan (Main Line) to Kyoto-Sanjo.
淀屋橋 (よどやばし: name of a bridge in Osaka, where 淀 is non-Joyo);
三条 (さんじょう: street name); 行く(いく: to go)

To refer to Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara at once, the Japanese use this term:

京阪奈 (けいはんな: Kyoto-Osaka-Nara (area)) Kyoto + Osaka + Nara

This is the name of a highway, hospital, a railway line, and more, as I explain in detail in essay 2097 on 阪 (Osaka).

How They Talk

The names of major Japanese cities, or
at least abbreviations for those names,
Quick Quiz 3
appear in terms for whichever accents
the locals have. 1. If 田舎 means “rural,” what do you think this proverb conveys:

This word is important because it ap- 京に田舎あり (きょうにいなかあり)

plies to much more than just Tokyo:
東京式アクセント (とうきょうしき
アクセント: Tokyo-style accent)
Tokyo (1st 2 kanji) + style
That is, this is the standard accent in
Japan, the one considered “normal.” It
contrasts sharply with the way of talk-
ing in Kansai:
京阪式アクセント (けいはんしき
アクセント: Kyoto-Osaka accent)
Kyoto + Osaka + style
京ことば or 京言葉 or 京詞 (きょう
ことば: Kyoto dialect; Kyoto accent)
Kyoto + language (last 2 kanji)
The breakdown of the latter term per-
tains to 京言葉.
a. (To Tokyoites) Kyoto is a backward, rustic town
b. The city and the countryside aren’t so different
c. Even in bustling cities there are places with a rural quality
d. Every citizen is represented in the capital, even those
from rural areas
2. According to old Japanese sayings, people in major cities ruin them-
selves in different ways. Here are three examples:
大阪の食い倒れ (おおさかのくいだおれ: fabled tendency of the
people of Osaka to ruin themselves financially by overindulging in
food and drink)
Osaka (1st 2 kanji) + eating + financial ruin
神戸の履き倒れ (こうべのはきだおれ: fabled tendency of the people
of Kobe to ruin themselves financially by buying too many shoes)
Kobe (1st 2 kanji) + putting on (shoes) + financial ruin

江戸の買い倒れ (えどのかいだおれ: fabled tendency of the people of

Edo to ruin themselves financially by hiring many prostitutes)
Edo (1st 2 kanji) + buying sex + financial ruin

As I’ve mentioned, Edo was the old name of Tokyo. The last saying re-
flects that 買う (かう) can mean “to buy sex.”

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 The people of Kyoto have a fabled tendency to ruin themselves fi-
Miniatures nancially by doing what? Choose one option:

Certain parts of Japan remind people a. going to too many performances

of Tokyo and Kyoto, so the Japanese
b. buying impressive real estate that they can’t afford
refer to them as follows:
c. buying too many books
小東京 (しょうとうきょう: Little d. buying too many clothes
Tokyo; nickname for towns
resembling Tokyo)
little + Tokyo (last 2 kanji)

小京都 (しょうきょうと: Little Kyoto;

nickname for towns resembling
Kyoto)
little + Kyoto (last 2 kanji)

Each word has great internal rhymes!

Oddly, the first term isn’t in diction-
aries. Here’s a way of using the latter
one:

我々はこの町を小京都と呼ぶ。
We refer to this town as Little
Kyoto.
我々 (われわれ: we); 町 (まち:
town); 呼ぶ (よぶ: to call)

For example, Kawagoe (in Saitama

Prefecture, north of Tokyo) reminds
people of Edo, so that nickname fits.

Outside of Japan people don’t use

such terms, instead referring to the
Japanese area of San Francisco, Cali-
fornia, as 日本町 (にほんまち: Japan-
town) and calling the Japanese sec-
tion of Los Angeles リトルトーキョー
(Little Tokyo).

Photo Credit: Dorothy Brown

At the top of this beautiful wrapping paper, the large red 京 is in seal script and
stands for 京都! We see that city name fully spelled out in the right-hand col-
umn, followed by 六角 (ろっかく: hexagon). A hexagon? Yes, the paper came to me

www.joyokanji.com © Eve Kushner 2021 Revised: February 18, 2021 Kanji number: 99 16
 wrapped around a tin of senbei (rice crackers) from a Kyoto street called 六角通
or 六角通り (both ろっかくどおり). The name alludes to that of the temple building
六角堂 (ろっかくどう), which is on the same road and has a hexagonal roof. So it is
that the packaging features the red 京 in a hexagon, collectively constituting the
store logo!

The big black characters down the center are 蕪村庵 (ぶそんあん), the name of the
shop. Of these kanji, only 村 is in the Joyo set. The store was likely named after the
famous poet Buson Yosa.

As I once blogged about, an insert in the senbei tin featured the same hexagonal
logo, as well as this word:

京町家 (きょうまちや: old houses of Kyoto) Kyoto + town + house

The houses are old, but the word dates back only to 1965. At its root we find 町家
(まちや), which can mean “house in town” or “merchant’s house (esp. one with a
shop in front).” This style originated in Kyoto—hence the first kanji in 京町家. A
Wikipedia page describes this style of architecture much better than I can do here.

While we’re discussing traditional Kyoto architecture, I’d like to introduce this
term:

京都五山 (きょうとござん: the five great Rinzai temples of Kyoto, plus

Nanzenji) Kyoto (1st 2 kanji) + 5 + mountains

The 五山 in the term reflects the name of the “Five Mountain System” from 13th-
century China, a system in which the state sponsored a network of Buddhist tem-
ples. Japan adopted this system toward the end of the Kamakura period, which
ended in 1333. As Wikipedia explains, “The term ‘mountain’ in this context means
‘temple’ or ‘monastery’, and was adopted because many monasteries were built
on isolated mountains.”

As for the “Rinzai” in the definition, that’s the name of a Zen Buddhist sect or
“school,” one closely connected to the Five Mountain System.

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 Answers to Quick Quiz 3
1.c. 京に田舎あり (きょうにいなかあり: Kyoto + rural (last 2 kanji)) means “even in bustling cities there
are places with a rural quality; (even) Kyoto is rustic in places.” This seems to be a very old proverb that
originally referred to Kyoto. Contemporary people could apply it to Tokyo and other big cities, but
perhaps no one uses it now. All the same, here’s an example:

都会でも、一本裏道に入れば、京に田舎ありを感じることができる。
If we go on a back road even in a city, we can feel that there’s countryside there.
都会 (とかい: city); 一本 (いっぽん: a road); 裏道 (うらみち: back road); 入る (はいる:
to go into); 感じる (かんじる: to feel)

2.d. 京の着倒れ (きょうのきだおれ: Kyoto + wearing (clothes) + financial ruin) means “fabled tendency
of the people of Kyoto to ruin themselves financially by buying too many clothes.” Of the four expres-
sions about the fabled tendencies, the Japanese now use only the one about the Osakan weakness for
food and drink.

Chinese Capitals
In our continuing exploration of 京, let’s travel to China, particularly to these two cities:

北京 (ペキン: Beijing) northern + capital

南京 (ナンキン: (1) Nanjing; (2) pumpkin; squash; (3) Chinese; Southeast Asian; foreign; (4) rare; precious; cute)
southern + capital

Beijing is the world’s most populous capital, so it feels wrong to relegate that topic to a sidebar.7 But for some reason
Nanjing terms provide more to chew on than Beijing-related vocabulary, at least in a study of 京, so that’s how I’ve ar-
ranged things.

Beijing7
The yomi of 北京 (ペキン: Beijing) re-
flects the old name “Peking,” which is
also true of these Japanese terms:
Nanjing has served as the Chinese capital on many occasions. The breakdown
of 南京, southern + capital, implies that the city is in southern China, but that’s
incorrect. This city was the capital of the Southern Dynasties during the time of
the Southern and Northern Dynasties (420 to 589 CE), as well as in other ages,
and that’s the origin of the 南 (south) in this name.

北京ダック (ペキンダック: Peking When 南京 was the Chinese capital in the first half of the 20th century, 京 (mean-
duck) 　 ing “capital”) became the abbreviation of the city name. Thus, Nanjing shares
that with Tokyo and Kyoto!
北京語 (ペキンご: Beijing dialect of
Mandarin)
Beijing (1st 2 kanji) + speech
Or should I say that Nanking does? After all, we see that pronunciation ap-
　 proximated with the yomi of 南京 (ナンキン). This reading and that of 北京
北京五輪 (ペキンごりん: (ペキン) give us the first instances we’ve seen of 京 with its non-Joyo on-yomi
Beijing Olympics (2008)) キン (listed in the Character Profile as the 唐音).
Beijing (1st 2 kanji) +
Olympics (last 2 kanji)

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Rendering those names as ナンキン and ペキン matches the way the Chinese romanized the two terms until about 1977.
That’s the year the United Nations decided that Chinese place names should be romanized in pinyin, not with the long-
standing Wade-Giles method of romanization. “Peking” became “Beijing,” and “Nanking” became “Nanjing.” But this ro-
manization issue applies only to English, not to languages such as French and Spanish, as one writer has noted. A French
newspaper article explains that when it comes to romanizing Chinese place names, the French decided to conserve a
system dating back to the 17th century, even though the French use pinyin to render all other Chinese words. The decree
has had no bearing on the Japanese, who have continued to use renderings such as ペキン and ナンキン.

In breakdowns of 南京 compounds, I’ve gone with “Nanking,” not “Nanjing,” to reflect the era in which each term came
into existence. That seems particularly appropriate with the names of historically significant events.8

Let’s take a closer look at this multisense word:

Of Historical Note 8
南京 (ナンキン: (1) Nanjing; (2) pumpkin; squash;
We find 南京 in the names of several (3) Chinese; Southeast Asian; foreign; (4) rare; precious; cute)
historical events: southern + capital

南京条約 (ナンキンじょうやく:
Treaty of Nanking (1842))
Nanking (1st 2 kanji) +
treaty (last 2 kanji)
The second definition works only in the Kansai dialect of Japan. Nowadays, peo-
ple don’t seem to use the term with the latter two definitions, but they influ-
ence several 南京-related words, starting with this one:

南京事件 (ナンキンじけん: 南京錠 (なんきんじょう: padlock)

(1) Nanking Incident (1927); foreign, rare, cute (1st 2 kanji) + lock
(2) Rape of Nanking (1937);
Nanking Massacre)
Nanking (1st 2 kanji) +
Wikipedia says that from 1568 to 1867, the Japanese used 南京- as a prefix for
incident (last 2 kanji) foreign, rare, or small things, including padlocks. How random!

南京大虐殺 (ナンキンだいぎゃく In the early Meiji era (1868–1912), the Japanese started calling people and
さつ: Rape of Nanking) goods from China 南京, a term with a warm connotation. Soon the Japanese
Nanking (1st 2 kanji) + began referring to Chinatowns as follows:
massacre (last 3 kanji)

These last two terms aren’t quite syn- 南京町 (なんきんまち: Chinatown) Nanking (1st 2 kanji) + town
onymous; the first definition of 南京
事件 refers to a March 1927 event in In the spirit of having 南京 represent things that came to Japan from China (or
which Kuomintang (the name of a from Southeast Asia via China), the Japanese devised this term:
major political party) troops targeted
foreign residents in the city, rioting
and looting their property, while for- 南京米 (なんきんまい: rice imported from China and Southeast Asia)
eign warships bombarded the city to China (1st 2 kanji) + rice
defend those residents.
At the end of the Edo period (1603–1867) and the start of the subsequent Meiji
By contrast, the Rape of Nanking oc- era, the Japanese imported this rice, which came in the following kind of sack:
curred a decade later. The Japanese
use 南京大虐殺 more than 南京事件 for
this event, which you can read about 南京袋 (なんきんぶくろ: burlap sack) China (1st 2 kanji) + bag
on Wikipedia. Whatever the term, this
is quite a touchy topic in Japan, with Along with rice, the Japanese imported peanuts from China in the Edo era, so
some denying that it ever took place. using the 南京- prefix again made sense in this term:

南京豆 (なんきんまめ: peanut) Nanking (1st 2 kanji) + bean

Nowadays, 落花生 (らっかせい) and ピーナッツ are common terms for these nuts,
but some elderly folks in Japan (especially those who lived in Nanking before
the war) still use 南京豆 for “peanut.” History lives on through language!

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Where We’ve Been, What We’ve Seen
Our star kanji appears with its Joyo on-yomi キョウ in these ultra-common names:

東京 (とうきょう: Tokyo) eastern + capital

京都 (きょうと: Kyoto) capital + capital

Many compounds contain these names, including the following terms:

東京都 (とうきょうと: Tokyo Metropolis) Tokyo (1st 2 kanji) + metropolitan prefecture (last 2 kanji)

東京人 (とうきょうじん: person from Tokyo) Tokyo (1st 2 kanji) + person

京都人 (きょうとじん: person from Kyoto) Kyoto (1st 2 kanji) + person

東京五輪 (とうきょうごりん: Tokyo Olympics, 1964, 2020) Tokyo (1st 2 kanji) + Olympics (last 2 kanji)

京都市 (きょうとし: Kyoto City) Kyoto (1st 2 kanji) + city

京都府 (きょうとふ: Kyoto Prefecture) Kyoto (1st 2 kanji) + prefecture

If you’re going to Tokyo, these words will apply:

上京 (じょうきょう: going to the capital (Tokyo)) going up to the capital + capital

東京行き (とうきょうゆき or とうきょういき: Tokyo-bound) Tokyo (1st 2 kanji) + bound for

在京 (ざいきょう: being in the capital (i.e., Tokyo, or formerly Kyoto)) being in + capital

滞京 (たいきょう: staying in Tokyo) staying in + capital

The last option is only for short visits. The next word enables you to leave:

東京発 (とうきょうはつ: departing Tokyo) Tokyo (1st 2 kanji) + departing

You won’t be able to stay away long, so this word will be pertinent:

帰京 (ききょう: (1) returning to Tokyo; (2) returning to the capital) returning to + Tokyo (last 2 kanji)

When 京 stands for either Tokyo or Kyoto in the names of train lines or in reference to the area between cities, the yomi
changes to ケイ:

京成 (けいせい: Tokyo-Narita) Tokyo + Narita

京阪神 (けいはんしん: Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe (area)) Kyoto + Osaka + Kobe

京阪式アクセント (けいはんしきアクセント: Kyoto-Osaka accent) Kyoto + Osaka + style

In other contexts, when 京 represents Tokyo or Kyoto, the reading is still キョウ. That’s true in 上京, 滞京, and these terms:

京物 (きょうもの: Kyoto products) Kyoto + thing

京菓子 (きょうがし: traditional Kyoto-style confectionery) Kyoto + confection (last 2 kanji)

京風 (きょうふう: (1) Kyoto style; (2) urbanity; refinement) Kyoto + style

www.joyokanji.com © Eve Kushner 2021 Revised: February 18, 2021 Kanji number: 99 20
When we shift over to Chinese contexts, we need to read 京 as キン:

北京 (ペキン: Beijing) northern + capital

南京 (ナンキン: (1) Nanjing; (2) pumpkin; squash; (3) Chinese; Southeast Asian; foreign; (4) rare; precious; cute)
southern + capital

Seeing these two terms, I feel compelled to remind you of one more, even though the contemporary Japanese use it only
as a prefix in food-related vocabulary:

西京 (さいきょう: western capital; Kyoto) western + capital

Created as a counterpoint to 東京, the name 西京 completes our round-up of all the cardinal directions paired with 京!

Master the material in this essay by playing games from our partner Kanshudo!

Time for your Verbal Logic Quiz!

Verbal Logic Quiz

What might this proverb mean:

東男に京女 (あずまおとこにきょうおんな）
man from eastern Japan (1st 2 kanji) + Kyoto woman (last 2 kanji)

a. The best men are from Edo, the best women from Kyoto
b. Many successful men in Edo grew up in Kyoto, born to strong women
c. An Edo man with an Edo wife will always dream of a Kyoto woman
d. Edo men often make their way to Kyoto, drawn by the women

www.joyokanji.com © Eve Kushner 2021 Revised: February 18, 2021 Kanji number: 99 21
 Answer to the Verbal Logic Quiz
a. 東男に京女 (あずまおとこにきょうおんな: man from eastern Japan (1st 2 kanji) + Kyoto woman (last 2
kanji)) means “the best men are from Edo, the best women from Kyoto.” Nowadays, no one uses this
proverb, which means that Tokyo men and Kyoto women are very compatible. Tokyo men are said to be
smart and powerful, whereas Kyoto women are supposedly graceful and feminine.

But those men and women shouldn’t pat themselves on the back just yet because the Japanese used to
say the same thing about the following types:

京男に伊勢女 (きょうおとこにいせおんな: the best men are from Kyoto, the best women from Ise)
Kyoto + man + Ise (next 2 kanji) + woman

The old province name 伊勢 (いせ), which starts with a non-Joyo kanji, corresponds to what is now Mie,
Aichi, and Gifu Prefectures.

The obscure proverb 京男に伊勢女 means that Kyoto men and Ise women are quite compatible. How
inconvenient for soulmates to be so far-flung!

www.joyokanji.com © Eve Kushner 2021 Revised: February 18, 2021 Kanji number: 99 22