璧

disk-shaped jewel; excellent thing or person

Kanji 2106

See how jade disks connect with a term for “perfect,” and read the fascinating history of a hunk of ore that inspired the word. Learn to avoid a kanji error that native speakers commonly make when they write about perfection! Find out how to talk about perfection and perfectionism, as well as about people who excel at something equally and who therefore tend to become rivals.

Revision history:

Oct. 31, 2024: p. 8: Slightly revised the Japanese sentence about Takeda and Uesugi to improve the syntax.

Sept. 27, 2019: Originally published.