I find that I often muddle both of these up. Does anyone have a good idea of a good story to separate the meanings of them?

What if you pictured a baseball cap with a Japanese flag (the rising sun) design on it? Then all you'd need to pin down is that 昇 is not the rising sun.

When does the sun rise? At nine.

Somehow "the measuring box of the rising-up sun" has always stuck with me.

From a measuring box升 is a traditional way of drinking sake. So imagine you are at a bar where you can see the sun rise up

http://www.flickr.com/photos/veroyama/155486262/

"House of the Rising Sun" is a description of Japan. Japan's favorite sport is baseball which has nine players.

Look at my stories, maybe it could be of any help? What do you think of it?

昇 rise up
When I open a measuring box, suddenly a little sun rise up to heavens (or sky), then the Sun dazzles me.

旭 rising sun
On the Jupiter you can see the rising Sun as many as nine days.



By the way. I don't speak English well, so please correct me (in private or whatever).

I had trouble with these two as well. The baseball team primitive just wasn't sticking. I pictured a sun rising over nine mountains. I pictured rise up as one of my binge drinking nights, where the sun rises up out of your cup... also, when the sun rises out of your cup, it's time to 'rise up' and go home. (Of course, like all stories, it helps to have this grounded in actual experience, I have a very hazy memory where the sun really did seem to come up out of my pint glass - I was sitting on the beach drinking with a buddy.)