斎 means “purification, abstinence, study”

さい · sai

Also: Buddhist food, room, worship

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading): とき, つつしむ, ものいみ, いむ, いわう
On'yomi (Chinese reading): サイ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 11 strokes

The story

The top of 斉, in order, standing over an altar (示): body and mind set straight before the gods. 斎 is a space set apart: a 書斎 is a quiet study, a 斎場 a funeral hall, and it sits in 斎藤, one of Japan's most common surnames.

Used in 書斎 (shosai, study/den), 斎場 (saijou, funeral hall), and 斎藤 (saitou, Saitō, a surname)

斎 means “purification, abstinence, study”

The story

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