Now Out: Essay 1962 on 唄 (Song), 3 Revisions, and 5 New-Monics

The 249th essay has posted! Essay 1962 on 唄 (song) is now available for purchase. Here's a preview:

Find out about 唄, which always plays second fiddle to 歌 but is more likely to represent Eastern songs, whereas 歌 is more for Western music. See why the Japanese prefer to see "Singin' in the Rain" in English. Discover a term that means "song sung by a blind person with the accompaniment of the shamisen, esp. in the Kamigata area of Kansai"! And learn a bit about Okinawa via its music.

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

Also, revisions of the following essays have posted:

essay 1164 on 峡 (ravine, gorge; strait)

essay 1165 on 挟 (to hold between; insert; be caught in)

essay 1166 on 狭 (narrow, cramped, tight, constricted)

Details are at the links. If you've bought these essays before or if you have a subscription, you can download the new versions for free.

Finally, Ulrike has produced a batch of new-monics (which are free!):

育 (227: to raise)
胃 (424: stomach)
徹 (1629: to go through)
撤 (1630: withdrawal)
膚 (1757: skin)