What is "kokoro"

is a novel by the Japanese author Natsume Sōseki. It was first published in 1914 in serial form in the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shinbun. While the title literally means "heart", the word contains shades of meaning, and can be translated as "the heart of things" or "feeling". The work deals with the transition from the Japanese Meiji society to the modern era, by exploring the friendship between a young man and an older man he calls " Sensei" (or teacher). It continues the theme of isolation developed in Sōseki's immediately preceding works, here in the context of interwoven strands of egoism and guilt, as opposed to shame. Other important themes in the novel include the changing times (particularly the modernization of Japan in the Meiji era), the changing roles and ideals of women, and intergenerational change in values, the role of family, the importance of the self versus the group, the cost of weakness, and identity.

During the novel's initial serial run, from April 20 to August 11, 1914, it was printed under the title . When later published in novel form by Iwanami Shoten, its title was shortened to Kokoro; the rendering of the word "kokoro" itself was also changed from kanji (心) to hiragana (こゝろ).

Kokoro (Japanese: 心) means "heart; mind; mentality; emotions; feelings" in Chinese characters.

Kokoro may refer to:

• Kokoro, a 1914 novel by Natsume Sōseki.
• Kokoro: Hints and Echoes of Japanese Life, an 1896 collection by Lafcadio Hearn.
• Kokoro (snack food), a popular snack food in Nigeria.
• Kokoro (vegetable), a variety of yam cultivated in West Africa.
• Kokoro (Yoruba), a Yoruba word meaning "insect" and, in medicine, "germ."

In film:

• The Heart (1955 film) (こころ Kokoro), a 1955 film directed by Kon Ichikawa, based by Natsume Sōseki's novel.
• The Heart (1973 film) (心 Kokoro), a 1973 film directed by Kaneto Shindō, based by Natsume Sōseki's novel.
• Kokoro (2007 film)

In music and performance:

• Kokoro (musician), a blind Nigerian musician.
• Kokoro Dance, a butoh dance troupe in Canada.
• "Kokoro," a song from Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht performed by Joanne Hogg of the band Iona.
• "Kokoro," an instrumental music track from New Age artist Kitaro on the 1994 album Mandala.
• " Kokoro no Tomo", a song by Mayumi Itsuwa and Delon Thamrin.
• "Kokoro," a song by Vocaloid Kagamine Rin
• " Kokoro (SS501 song)," a Japanese song by Korean boyband SS501

In television:

• Kokoro (television series), a Japanese television drama starring Noriko Nakagoshi.
• Kokoro: The Heart Within, a 10 part documentary series originally airing on PBS.

In geography:

• Kokoro, Benin, a town in Benin.
• Kokoro, Niger, a town and commune in Niger.

In other entertainment:

• Kokoro (video game), a Japanese bishōjo game.
• Kokoro (Dead or Alive), a character in the Dead or Alive video game series.
• Kokoro, a character from the manga and anime series One Piece.
• Kokoro Fuyukawa, one of the main protagonists of the visual novel Remember11.
• Kokoro Katsura, a character from the visual novel School Days.
• Kokoro (comics), an amalgam of the fictional characters Katana from the Outsiders in the DC Universe and Psylocke from the X-Men in the Marvel Comics Universe.

<!-- Commented out- certainly true in fiction, but in real life?

is an adult bishōjo game released on December 4, 1998 in Japan by Aaru. "Kokoro" is Japanese for "heart," and the title represents both the literal breaking of the katakana expression for "heart" and the figurative breaking of the protagonist's heart. The game deals with incest, sexual abuse, homosexuality and murder.

The game was once banned from sale and was later re-released in a modified version (the characters' relationships were changed from blood relatives to in-laws) without consent of the Ethics Organization of Computer Software (EOCS) on January 29, 1999. During this time, the game commanded record prices in the secondhand market. A novel adapted by Kakeru Sawano was published in June 1999.

The game was adapted into a 2-part original video animation (OVA) adaptation, released by Alice Japan. Part one was released on December 21, 2001, and part two on June 21, 2002.

There is a sequel and a prequel to the game. The sequel, Kokoro II, features artwork by Yuna Kagesaki and was released on August 25, 2000. The prequel and final volume, Kokoro 0, was released on May 28, 2004. At the 2006 summer Comiket, Yuna Kagesaki sold a manga that centered on events from Kokoro II.

Kokoro is a variety of Dioscorea rotundata yam that are abundant in Western Nigeria, Benin and Togo. Their common use by ethnic groups such as the Yoruba that put heavy pressure on the cultivated land suggest that they have been cultivated since ancient times, since they are the only type of yam that gives good yields on degraded soil. In modern times, Kokoro yams are gaining in importance as the yam chips trade is expanding. The Kokoro variety is essential for preparing peeled and dried yam.

Kokoro is a Yoruba word meaning " worm", " grub" or " insect".

"Kokoro" is South Korean boy band SS501's debut Japanese maxi single.

The group debuted in the Japanese market after only two years since their Korean debut to further spread their activities and challenge themselves outside of Korea. They released their Japanese single "Kokoro", alongside multiple versions, including one with all members and five featuring each member individually.

Their lead track, "Kokoro" debuted at the 5th spot on the Oricon chart, and moved to 3rd spot the next day. It was also chosen as an ending theme song for an anime entitled Blue Dragon.

Benjamin ‘Kokoro’ Aderounmu (25 February 1925 – 25 January 2009) was a widely known blind minstrel from Lagos, Nigeria. He was born into a royal family in Owo, Ondo State, and became blind when he was aged ten. He developed a unique style of singing accompanied first by a drum, later by a tambourine. He moved to Lagos in 1947, where he became exposed to major local musicians such as Ayinde Bakare, Bobby Benson and Victor Olaiya. In the 1960s and 1970s he featured regularly on Federal and local radio stations, and was widely respected for the depth and wisdom of his lyrics.

An early pioneer of Jùjú music, he sang in Yoruba about love, money, conflicts and urban decadence. He had wide influence on other musicians. The author Cyprian Ekwensi wrote a fictionalized version of his life in his novel for adolescents, The Drummer Boy.

He performed in many cities in Nigeria and overseas, but was exploited by people who took advantage of his blindness. Often he was homeless, playing on the streets to make ends meet. However, in 2007 the governor of Lagos State Babatunde Raji Fashola donated him a two-bedroom apartment after meeting him at a performance by King Sunny Adé. Kokoro died of a diarrhea-related ailment shortly before the planned release of his album titled Igi Araba He was survived by his wife of 32 years, Abike Beatrice Adewunmi.

Kokoro is a common snack food in Nigeria. It is made from a paste of maize flour mixed with sugar and gari ( cassava) or yam flour and deep-fried. It is commonly sold in ogun state in Nigeria.

In a 1991 study of foods sold to schoolchildren in Lagos, samples of kokoro were bought from the stalls and subjected to microbiological analysis. Ten different types of bacteria were isolated, including bacteria associated with food poisoning and diarrhea, pointing to the need to improve control of hygiene in their preparation, and to look for ways to extend shelf life.

In a study that aimed to find a version with improved nutrition value, it was found that de-fatted soybean or groundnut cake flour could be used, but the taste and texture were not acceptable at more than 10% of the total flour. Another nutritionally improved snack derived from kokoro was developed by extrusion cooking of different mixes of maize, soybean and condiments such as pepper, onion, salt, palm oil, plantain and banana.