One Sky over Ten Thousand Miles 万里一空
banri ikkū4 characters19 strokes
万里一空 (banri ikkū) means the sky is one and the same however far you travel, so keep your distant goal in sight and keep working toward it.
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Meaning 意味
What 万里一空 means
A Japanese four-character idiom, yojijukugo, read banri ikkū.
LiterallyTen thousand miles, one sky.
However far you go, even ten thousand miles, the same sky stretches overhead. In the same way, never lose sight of a distant goal and keep making the effort to reach it.
Where it comes from. It is said to come from 万理一空, a phrase in The Book of Five Rings by the swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. The sumo wrestler Kotoshōgiku also used it in 2011, in his speech on being promoted to ōzeki.
“With banri ikkū in mind, I practice a little every day toward my next exam.”
When people write it in Japan. It suits a New Year resolution about a big goal, or a motto for lessons, training or sports.
Japanese children know every kanji here by 2nd grade.
How to write it 書き方
Brush tips for 万里一空
Three things to watch
- In 万, draw the 2nd stroke across, turn it down, and finish with a flick to the upper left. Sweep the 3rd stroke long down to the left.
- In 里, keep the square part at the top fairly small. Make the 7th stroke, the bottom horizontal, long to support the character.
- In 空, sweep the 4th stroke long down to the left. In the 工 at the bottom, keep the 7th stroke, the vertical, short so the 工 stays flat.
Stroke order
Follow the vermilion stroke, frame by frame.
Stroke order data: KanjiVG by Ulrich Apel, CC BY-SA 3.0.
How to practice 練習
Trace first, then copy
- PrintPrint both pages at actual size, on US Letter or A4. Page 1 is the model. Page 2 is the tracing sheet.
- TraceTrace the outlines with a brush pen. Or lay thin hanshi paper over the page and trace with brush and ink.
- CopySet the model beside your paper and copy it stroke by stroke. Look at the model more than at your own paper.
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