Apparently the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation decides one of these every year.
This year, 熊 (kuma) was selected, meaning bear. For whatever reason, Japan has had a bunch of bear issues lately.
I love how the drawing of the kanji with the brush stroke looks NOTHING LIKE THE ACTUAL KANJI. GAH!
Kanjis are hard, yo. Even the Japanese say so.
It’s not so much the medium, but the style he writes in. And don’t worry, it can be hard for even Japanese people. This one is pretty easy for me because I’m adult with lots of experience, but my kid in 3rd grade probably wouldn’t be able to tell.
It’s the equivalent of writing in cursive with the western alphabet.
It’s almost like doctor’s notes.
Seriously! Even after knowing what it is, I look back at the picture and can barely see any hint of it.
A mixture of urbanization and climate change pushes bears into human habitats. At the same time, it’s a nation of retirees with 60-somethings hiking or farming plots in bear habitats, and thus becoming fodder themselves. And at the same time still they cannot come up with good legislation and a ranger service that can regulate the population of bears by shooting them if they have to without falling fowl of the strict gun laws. It’s a clusterfuck.
It’s positively unbearable
Try to bear with me anyway.
All countries dedicated on improving their literacy standards do this, including BASIC.
