Why 'Doubutsu no Mori' Isn't Written in Kanji
A look at why Animal Crossing uses hiragana instead of kanji, and what the Japanese title tells us about the language.
I’ve loved playing games for as long as I can remember. I started trying all kinds of games when I was still in kindergarten, and I’ve never really stopped. One series that many of you probably already know is Animal Crossing.
My first experience with it was Doubutsu no Mori+ (どうぶつの森+) on the Nintendo GameCube — the same game that was released overseas as the very first Animal Crossing. Since then, the series has become very popular around the world.
Today, I’d like to talk about Doubutsu no Mori (どうぶつの森) and the kanji hiding behind its name.
The Name: Why Hiragana?
In Japan, Animal Crossing is called Doubutsu no Mori (どうぶつの森), meaning “Animal Forest.” But if you look at the title carefully, どうぶつ is written in hiragana — not in kanji.
The kanji form is 動物 (Doubutsu). So why did they choose hiragana instead?
I think there are two reasons. First, the game targets a very wide audience — from young children to adults. Hiragana is the first writing system children learn, so it makes the title easy for everyone to read. Second, hiragana has a softer, more kawaii (cute) feel. As a Japanese person, どうぶつの森 looks warm and inviting. If it were written as 動物の森, it would feel more like a sign at a zoo or a label in a science textbook.
動 (Dou) — Move
物 (Butsu) — Thing / Object
So 動物 literally means “moving thing.” When I look at it calmly, this is surprisingly vague and broad. A car moves. Wind moves. Clouds move. But somehow, 動物 specifically means “animal.” To be honest, even as a Japanese person, I felt a bit strange when I really thought about it. It’s one of those words you’ve used your whole life without ever questioning — it’s so natural that you simply don’t notice until you stop and look at it with fresh eyes.
森 (Mori) — Forest
The other half of the title is 森 (Mori — Forest). This kanji is made up of three 木 (Ki — tree) characters. One tree is 木 (Ki), two trees make 林 (Hayashi — grove), and three trees make 森 (Mori — forest). I’ve always thought this was one of the most logical progressions in kanji — you can literally see the forest growing as you add more trees.
The Seasons: Shiki (四季)
Animal Crossing follows the real-time seasons, which highlights the importance of Shiki (四季), the four seasons, in Japanese culture. I wrote about this connection to seasonal traditions in my article on Risshun (立春). This game is a good example of how deeply seasons are woven into life in Japan.
- 春 (Haru) — Spring
- 夏 (Natsu) — Summer
- 秋 (Aki) — Autumn
- 冬 (Fuyu) — Winter
The events in the game, like seeing the sakura (桜 — Cherry Blossoms) or making a yukidaruma (雪だるま — Snowman), are things we look forward to in real life as well.
A Note on Nature Kanji in Daily Life
I’ve seen accessories with single seasonal kanji like 冬 (Fuyu — Winter) or 夏 (Natsu — Summer). As a Japanese person, I think these look clean and minimalist. They work well on simple items like tote bags or hats.
動物 (Doubutsu — Animal) on a t-shirt, though, would look a bit odd. It’s such a plain, everyday word that wearing it would be like wearing a shirt that just says “ANIMAL” — not wrong, but not really saying anything personal either.
If you are interested in a tattoo or design inspired by nature, single characters like 森 (Mori — Forest) or seasonal kanji tend to look cleaner than compound words. But keep in mind that most Japanese people would simply read 森 as “forest” — it doesn’t carry a hidden philosophical meaning in daily use.
Final Thoughts
When I first played Doubutsu no Mori on the GameCube, I never once thought about the kanji behind the name. Sometimes the most familiar words are the ones we understand the least.
I hope your island is doing well.