The type of characters used in a lot of my patterns is called Kanji (漢字). Kanji, also known as Hanja, Hanzi, etc., literally means characters of Han (dynasty of China about 2000 years ago). There are thousands and thousands of characters, and Japan adopted them more than 1000 years ago.
Kanji is an essential part of Japanese language. Most of Kanji characters are considered logo-grams, meaning they visually represent shapes and forms of an actual object. When Japanese people see Kanji characters, they visualize the object represented by the characters. Kanji is more than just alphabets.
Knitting (Amimono, 編み物) is also something Japan adopted from another part of the world, most likely introduced while doing trades with Portugal and Spain in the 17th century.
Combining the imported forms of art (Kanji and Amimono), I hope my Amimoji design will pay homage to the great diversity of cultures and bring unity to the world of knitting!
Duke of Nikko 