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Kids' T-Shirt “ありがとう”
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ありがとう (arigatou, “thank you”) — A T-Shirt That Helps Us Notice What Is Precious
In everyday Japanese, “thank you” is normally written in hiragana as 「ありがとう」 (arigatou). This is the form Japanese people most commonly use today.
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It can also be written with kanji as 「有り難う」, though that form is less common in modern writing. The characters reveal a deeper meaning behind the familiar expression.
「有り」 comes from 「有る」 (aru), “to exist”, while 「難」 means “difficult”. The expression comes from the old Japanese 「有り難し」 (arigatashi), literally “difficult to exist”. Something described as 「有り難い」 (arigatai) is rare, precious and not something to take for granted.
Nothing is guaranteed. When we notice how precious the existence of a thing or person is, that awareness becomes gratitude, and gratitude becomes 「ありがとう」—thank you.
The graphic is made from words for “thank you” in languages from around the world, scattered across the design. The world is full of thank-yous; gratitude helps make the world feel whole and keeps us connected, even when it is easy to miss.
If we take everything for granted and forget gratitude, the world around us begins to fall apart. That is why I want to keep noticing, feeling and expressing thanks.