Essay 1982 on 玩 (to play with) Is Now Out

The 148th essay has posted! Essay 1982 on 玩 (to play with; trifle with; fiddle with; take pleasure in; make fun of; relish; cherish) is now available for purchase. Here's a preview:

Find out about traditional Japanese toys (e.g., limbless kokeshi and wheeled pigeons) and see how they vary regionally. Learn to talk about fiddling with hair, playing with dolls, and keeping pets. Then lose your innocence with terms for toying with people or treating them as playthings. Afterward, redeem yourself by learning to express deep appreciation for things like calligraphy.

Using the accompanying Phrase Maze game on the Character Home Page, you can practice the vocabulary in the essay after reading it. 

In addition, there are several new-monics:

小 (36: small)
京 (99: capital)
死 (286: death)
景 (469: scenery)
最 (484: most)
郷 (841: hometown)
雇 (1232: to employ)
葬 (1523: to bury)