算盤
そろばん · soroban · JLPT N2 · noun
abacus
🧮 算 = calculate + 盤 = board: a calculating board
算 means calculate or count, and 盤 means board or tray. Soroban is the Japanese abacus, a counting board with sliding beads.
算 — bamboo 竹 + abacus 具 (eye 目 + two hands 廾)
Originally depicted counting with bamboo rods on an abacus-like device. The top 竹 (bamboo) refers to the bamboo counting sticks used in ancient Chinese arithmetic, while the bottom shows hands manipulating them. The meaning broadened from 'to count' to 'to calculate' or 'to plan'.