path of briars (used in metaphor for a life of hardships)

to select; to choose / to elect / to screen

茨, 荊, 棘: a shrub with thorns: a bramble, a briar; thorn; a thorny flower of the genus Rosa: a rose

井原: A city in Okayama Prefecture, Japan

saibara (Heian-era genre of vocal music)

a shrub with thorns: a bramble, a briar / thorn / a thorny flower of the genus Rosa: a rose

a thorny bush or shrub: a briar, a bramble / (regional, chiefly Kansai) a thorn on a plant / general name for wild roses / (figuratively) suffering, hardship, distress

thorn / brier / whip

Alternative spelling of 茨

a place name, such as that of Ibara City in Okayama Prefecture / a surname