willow
楊 centers on the willow tree, a graceful tree known for its slender, drooping branches.
楊 combines 木 (tree) with 昜, which likely contributes the sound and may relate to spreading or rising, fitting the willow's long, spreading branches.
The left side 木 is a tree, and the right side 昜 looks like a sun 日 with rays spreading out. Picture a willow tree with long, spreading branches catching the sunlight.
For ヨウ, imagine a willow tree swaying and making a soft 'yo' sound in the wind: yo -> ヨウ, as the branches gently wave.
toothpick
toothpick
weeping willow
toothpick
toothbrush made from a piece of willow frayed at one end
Japanese box tree (Buxus microphylla var. japonica)
pipefish (esp. the seaweed pipefish, Syngnathus schlegeli)
small toy bow that can be shot while sitting, popular in the Edo period
archery range (sometimes a front for a brothel)
toy bow archery range (sometimes front for a brothel)
Yoshin-ryu; martial art tradition founded in the Edo period
syphilis
the samurai glories in honourable poverty; keep a stiff upper lip!
toothbrush
Japanese holly (Ilex crenata)
dental floss
Hu poplar; Populus euphratica
leisurely, post-meal use of a toothpick