aji

In the game of go, aji means the threats that one player will have in a position. It means that later on in the game, a player will have an opportunity to make a threat.

However, just because the threat is there doesn't mean it should be used - if responding to it isn't important enough, the opponent might ignore it (tenuki) and play elsewhere.

There is also something called aji-keshi, which means "erase aji". This is when you play a move which allows your opponent to respond while simultaneously fixing the problem. After you have given him this chance, your old threat won't be a threat anymore.

It is important to decide when to use aji - if you use it too early, the opponent will ignore it and play a more profitable more elsewhere. But if you wait too long, you might give your opponent a chance to play there first and fix the problem.

Also, in japanese, aji means "taste". Here is the kanji for it:

                              #%%,,
                              %%%%%
  %%,,      ,%%,              %%%%
  %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%             %%%%
  %%%%      %%%%              %%%%      ,%%,
  %%%%      %%%%   "%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
  %%%%      %%%%              %%%%
  %%%%      %%%%              %%%%
  %%%%      %%%%              %%%%
  %%%%      %%%%              %%%%
  %%%%      %%%%              %%%%        ,%%,
  %%%%      %%%% "%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
  %%%%      %%%%            %%%%%%
  %%%%      %%%%           %%%%%%%%
  %%%%      %%%%          ,%%%%%%%%,
  %%%%      %%%%          %%%%%%%%"%%
  %%%%%%%%%%%%%%         %%%% %%%% "%%,
  %%%%      "%%"       ,%%%%  %%%%  %%%,
  "%%"                ,%%%"   %%%%   %%%%,
                     ,%%%"    %%%%    %%%%%,,
                    %%%"      %%%%     "%%%%%%%
                  ,%%%"       %%%%      "%%%%%"
                ,%%%"         %%%%        %%%%
             ,,%""            "%%"         "%"