組 (Kanji for one's team)

Cultural Code Word; According to Alex Kerr's seminal Japan-rant DOGS AND DEMONS, kids are assigned a kumi from the first day of school, and spend their whole lives with their friends basically chosen by institutions (school, then university clubs, then co-workers).

Of course this happens everywhere, but it takes Japan to on-purpose systematically do it, and even give it a name.

The good side is, you'll always have pals even if you have nothing in common besides the same boss. The bad side is, you'll never be able to make friends independently because you were never taught / given the opportunity to develop the social tools necessary to do so.

This whole phenomenon is related to another CCW, amae .

Onyomi

SO	I need Some One on my team - I can't do it alone.

Mnemonic

Our team is all wearing Abe hats which are tied together with string. (so we can't do anything on our own - this is Japan, after all)

Kunyomi

くみ	team or group. ★★★★☆

Jukugo

番組(ばんぐみ)

tv program ★★★☆☆ KUN ON
番 (number) + 組 (one's team) = 番組 (tv program)

組織(そしき)

organization ★★★☆☆
組 (one's team) + 織 (organization / weave) = 組織 (organization)

an organization or structure - usually social (like a union or mafia)

組合(くみあい)

a union or association ★★☆☆☆ KUNKUN NOKURI
組 (one's team) + 合 (to suit) = 組合 (a union or association)

Lookalikes

	Meaning	Hint	Radical
組	one's team	STRING	糸
祖	ancestor	NECROPHILIA	ネ
相	partner	TREE	木
粗	rough texture / bad quality	RICE	米
阻	hamper	TOWN

Team spirit is the STRING that binds us into a unit.

We do NECROPHILIA with our ancestors.

The TREE is our partner in the oxygen/co2 cycle.

My RICE is bad quality so everyone in TOWN hampered me from selling it!

組 one's team

Onyomi

Mnemonic

Kunyomi

Jukugo

Lookalikes

Synonyms