Joy

by Nao

yoroko-bu, ki

Yoroko-bu is the Japanese verb for “to rejoice”. Yoroko-bi is a noun for “joy”. The suffixes bu and bi are okurigana.

The chorus of the Symphony No.9 composed by Beethoven is also known as Yorokobi no Uta (A Song of Joy).

The 77th anniversary of one’s birth is called kiju. The ki is this character because its sōsho (a very cursive style of writing kanji) looks like seventy-seven. The ju of kiju means felicitation.

All the horizontal lines are parallel.

1. Draw the top horizontal line from the left to the right.
2. Draw the vertical stroke from the top.
3. Draw the second top horizontal line.
4. Start drawing the upper rectangle (a mouth). Draw the vertical stroke on the left.
5. Draw the right-angled hook. Start the stroke from where you start the previous stroke. Turn the direction of the brush at the shoulder.
6. Draw the horizontal stroke.
7. Draw the small dot on the left.
8. Draw the small dot on the right. This is a sweeping stroke.
9. Draw the longest horizontal line.
10. Start drawing the rectangle (a mouth) at the bottom. This rectangle is bigger than the other one. Draw the vertical stroke on the left.
11. Draw the right-angled hook. Start the stroke from where you start the previous stroke. Turn the direction of the brush at the shoulder.
12. Draw the horizontal stroke at the bottom.