草

Grass

くさ (kusa)

JLPT N5

Interesting Fact

In Japanese mythology, the legendary sword "Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi (Grass-Cutting Sword)" earned its name when the hero Yamato Takeru used it to cut through tall grass while escaping a deadly fire. The sword later became one of Japan's Imperial Regalia.

Memory Trick

The top is plant (艹), and the bottom is early (早). Before flowers bloom and trees fill with leaves, grass is already covering the ground. That's 草, meaning grass.