Kanji

💡 Break 池 down and you get 氵 (water) — three drops of water running down the left edge. Picture water falling from a rock ledge into the pool below it, put 池 inside it, and let that scene stand for "pond" — pond. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 茶 down and you get 艹 (grass / plant) — two shoots pushing up through the soil. Picture young plants pushing up out of the soil beside a garden label, put 茶 inside it, and let that scene stand for "tea" — tea. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Picture a garment with its collar and sleeves: that is what 着 means — wear / arrive. Now find the part that anchors it in the character itself, 目 (eye) — an eye stood on its end, pupil lines inside. Drop that part into the picture and the shape stops being something separate to memorise.

💡 Break 昼 down and you get 尺 (measure / length) — a measure held against the thing being sized, and beside it 旦 (dawn) — the sun sitting right on the horizon line, freshly risen. Picture the sun shining in a clear sky, put 昼 inside it, and let that scene stand for "daytime" — daytime / noon. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 注 down and you get 氵 (water) — three drops of water running down the left edge, and beside it 主 (master / main) — a lamp on its stand, the room built round it. Picture a drop of water above rippling waves, put 注 inside it, and let that scene stand for "pour" — pour /注意. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 町 down and you get 田 (rice field) — a field cut into four plots by its paths, and beside it 丁 (nail / town block) — a nail seen from the side, its head flat above a straight shaft. Picture a rice field divided into four plots by its paths, put 町 inside it, and let that scene stand for "town" — town. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 A bird with its eye, wing, and tail feathers. 鳥 means bird.

💡 Break 朝 down and you get 月 (moon / month) — the moon hanging in a clear night sky. Picture the moon in a night sky, put 朝 inside it, and let that scene stand for "morning" — morning. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 通 down and you get 甬 (tube / passage) — a hollow tube standing upright, open straight through from end to end, and beside it ⻌ (road / movement) — a road running along the bottom of the character. Picture a milestone post standing beside the road, put 通 inside it, and let that scene stand for "pass through" — pass through / commute. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.

💡 Break 弟 down and you get 八 (eight / split) — two strokes opening away from each other. Picture an open ledger book ruled into counted columns, put 弟 inside it, and let that scene stand for "younger brother" — younger brother. The odder the picture, the better it sticks.