昭 means “bright, shining”

しょう · shou

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ショウ

JLPT N1 · Taught in grade 3 · 9 strokes

The story

The sun (日) beside 召, to summon: light called down to make things bright. 昭 means shining, but to any Japanese it means 昭和, the Showa era from 1926 to 1989, now marked by 昭和の日 each April 29 and loved as 昭和レトロ.

Used in 昭和 (shouwa, the Showa era), 昭和の日 (shouwa no hi, Showa Day), and 昭和レトロ (shouwa retoro, Showa-era nostalgia)

More from Light & Shadow

• 宙 midair
• 透 transparent
• 輝 shine
• 雰 atmosphere
• 暖 warm
• 陰 shade
• 暁 daybreak
• 闇 darkness
• 宵 evening
• 旦 dawn

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

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