Gypsum (CaSO4.2H2O) is very similar to Anhydrite (CaSO4). The chemical difference is that gypsum contains two waters and anhydrite is without water. Gypsum is the most common sulfate mineral. Gypsum wallboard and plaster: Wallboard and construction plaster are the primary industrial uses of gypsum in the United States.
Hoshi (æ) is a Japanese word which means star. It is also a surname. Hoshi (ä¿å¿) is a Japanese surname with a similar pronunciation. HÅshi (æ³å¸«) is unrelated to the preceding words, and pronounced differently. It is a technical term in Buddhism (see below).
What's significant about the Japanese alphabet? Made in China Kanji are early Chinese characters imported into Japan in the fifth century. Japan, for instance, is written with two characters: æ¥æ¬ [Nihon], æ¥ [hi] means sun and æ¬ [moto], base, so Japan means base of the sun or Land of the Rising Sun.