entertain, revive, retrieve, interest, pleasure
興 centers on the idea of something rising up or being stirred into action: entertainment and pleasure arise from lively engagement, while reviving and retrieving involve bringing something back up from a low state.
興 originally depicted four hands lifting a tray or vessel, conveying the idea of raising or stirring up. The modern form retains the sense of lifting or rousing, though the visual components have become stylized.
Picture four hands (the 臼 and ハ shapes) lifting a shared tray (同) together, stirring up excitement and entertainment as they raise it high.
For コウ, imagine a crowd cheering 'Koh!' as they lift the tray in a lively festival: Koh -> コウ, and the energy rises.
interest (in something); curiosity (about something); zest (for)
excitement; stimulation; agitation; arousal
revival; reconstruction; restoration; rebuilding; recovery; renaissance
very interesting; of great interest
promotion; encouragement
rising; developing; emergent; burgeoning; new
show; performance; act
interest; entertainment; pleasure
improvisation
very interesting; of absorbing interest; having a keen interest (in); being immensely curious (about)
performance (at a party or banquet, etc.); side show; entertainment
revival; restoration; resuscitation
Yoshimoto Kogyo
promotion of industry; inauguration of a new industrial enterprise
detective agency; enquiry agency
to vitalize (e.g. an industry); to invigorate; to energize; to revive; to promote; to make prosperous
making a country prosperous; prosperous country
to amuse oneself; to make merry
amusement; fun; brief entertainment
to amuse oneself; to make merry