蚕 means “silkworm”

かいこ · kaiko

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

かいこ, こ

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

サン, テン

JLPT N1 · Taught in grade 6 · 10 strokes

The story

Heaven (天) over an insect (虫): picture the heavenly bug that spins silk. 蚕 is the silkworm, fed on mulberry leaves in 養蚕, silk farming, which once filled farmhouse attics, like the steep-roofed houses of Shirakawa-go.

Used in 蚕 (kaiko, silkworm) and 養蚕 (yousan, silkworm farming)

More from Silk & Sleeves

• 裾 hem
• 繭 cocoon
• 巾 cloth
• 織 weave
• 脱 take off
• 麻 hemp
• 錦 brocade
• 繊 fiber
• 履 put on (shoes)
• 縫 sew
• 裸 naked
• 扇 fan

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

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