匠 means “artisan, master craftsman”

たくみ · takumi

Also: workman, carpenter

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

たくみ

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ショウ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 6 strokes

The story

An axe (斤) kept in a toolbox (匚): the kit of a master carpenter. 匠 is a master craftsman, 匠の技 their skill, 巨匠 a great master of an art, and 師匠 is what a rakugo apprentice calls his teacher.

Used in 匠 (takumi, artisan), 師匠 (shishou, master/teacher), and 巨匠 (kyoshou, great master)

More from Kiln & Forge

• 拙 clumsy
• 漆 lacquer
• 鋳 cast
• 窯 kiln
• 繕 mend
• 錬 refine
• 冶 smelt
• 璧 jade disk
• 製 manufacture
• 創 create
• 巧 skillful
• 陶 pottery

Learn 匠 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.