Japanese Symbol for
影kage
shadow · silhouette · reflection
Readings
Meaning
Shadow, silhouette, reflection, image, trace. 影 (kage) covers shadow cast by light, one's reflection, and the ghost-like trace of something. It's more poetic and atmospheric than the purely physical 陰 (in — shade, the absence of light).
Example words
影響
eikyō
influence, effect (shadow-sound)
人影
hitokage
human shadow, silhouette
影絵
kageе
shadow picture, silhouette art
面影
omokage
vestige, memory, trace of a face
陰と陽
in to yō
yin and yang (shadow and light)
影武者
kagemusha
body double, shadow warrior
影武者 (kagemusha — shadow warrior/body double) was a feudal Japanese practice of using a lookalike to protect lords. Akira Kurosawa's 1980 film Kagemusha explored this theme. 影響 (eikyō — influence/effect) literally means "shadow-sound" — the way a stone thrown in water creates ripples that spread silently like a shadow.
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