Glossary of Japanese Words & Phrases

Japanese Word Glossary

A glossary of Japanese words and phrases from Aikido to Zen. See a list of important Japanese cultural words and terms with an explanation in English. Also listed are common Japanese acronyms (NHK, MITI etc) and historical words. Further information on many of the listed terms is available via accompanying links, plus information on related Japanese products.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

Aikido - martial art.

Aimai - vague.

Ainu - indigenous people of northern Japan & Hokkaido.

Akari - Japanese paper lamps and lanterns. akari products

Amakudari - lit. 'descent from heaven', the practice of former civil service bureaucrats taking up executive posts with the companies they had overseen in government.

Amaterasu Omikami - according to Japanese myth, Amaterasu Omikami is the sun goddess, the guardian of the nation and the protector of the Imperial family. Read more on Amaterasu

Ama-zake - sweet sake.

ANA - All Nippon Airways

Anime - a shortened form of the English word 'animation' referring to Japanese cartoons.

Arubaito - part-time work from the German word for work Arbeit.

Awamori - strong alcohol from Okinawa.

B

Bakufu - lit. 'tent administration', the name given to the shogunal Tokugawa government in the Edo Period.

Bakumatsu - the end of the Bakufu government roughly 1853-1868.

Banto - archaic term for administrative "fixer" between upper management and staff.

Banzai - traditional cheer lit. "10,000 years".

Bakuto - an illegal, underworld gang of gamblers - see Yakuza.

Benten - folk goddess.

Bento - a boxed meal of rice, pickles and small portion of, typically, fish, poached egg, sausage, beans, etc., served in restaurants, train stations or prepared as a packed lunch for school children.

Biwa - four-stringed, traditional lute.

Bonkei & Bonseki - three dimensional scenery in miniature created on a tray using gravel, sand and moss.

Bonsai - the art of raising miniature potted plants. bonsai products

Boryokudan - lit. 'violence syndicate' - see Yakuza.

Boso-zoku - motorcycle gang.

Burakumin - lit. 'village people'. A euphemism for descendants of the eta class of social outcasts in the Edo period. The group's origins are unclear, although, due to social discrimination, they engaged in professions condemned by Buddhism such as executions, slaughter and leatherwork. An invisible minority against whom covert discrimination continues even today.

Bushido - the way of the warrior, samurai spirit.

Butsudan - Buddhist altar kept in homes.

Byobu - traditional Japanese folding screens. Often painted and decorated with gold leaf. byobu products

C

Capsule Hotel - cheap accommodation often found near railway stations consisting of a small, almost coffin-like, space for sleeping and shared bathing facilities.
Read more on capsule hotels

Chanoyu - the artistic and aesthetic discipline of tea ceremony. tea ceremony products

Chikan - 'pervert': a male groper or flasher, common on subway trains. Many municipalities now operate women-only carriages at rush hour to combat the practice. Read more on chikan

Chikuwa - a tubular roll of boiled or grilled fish paste. Literally 'bamboo ring' from the method traditionally used to mold it.

Chindonya - A chindonya troupe consists of usually three lavishly attired and heavily made up men or women who perform with percussion and wind instruments to advertise new businesses. Read more on chindonya

-Cho - suffix used for area in a city.

-Chome - suffix used for area in a city smaller than -cho.

Chochin - colorful paper lanterns found in temples, shops and outdoor market stalls. chochin products

Choju-giga - Heian era forerunner of modern manga.

Chonmage - top-knot worn in the past by samurai and now by sumo wrestlers. chonmage products

Chozuya - water fountain at Shinto shrines for ritual purification of hands & mouth.

Cosplay - cosplay (costume play) is the fetish for dressing as Japanese anime or manga characters. Read more on cosplay

D

Daikon - giant white oriental radish.

Daikoku - one of the Seven Lucky Gods of Japan. See Shichifukujin

Daimyo - provincial feudal lords in the Edo Period. See Han.

Danchi - public housing blocks.

Dango - balls of Mochi (pounded sticky rice) served on bamboo skewers or slang term for rigged bid.

Dashi - fish and seaweed stock; a key ingredient in Japanese cuisine. Read more on dashi

Daruma - good luck doll. Read more on daruma

Dekasegi - (Dekasegi Nikkei Burajirujin) the name given to Brazilian Japanese migrant workers and their families in Japan. Brazilian Japanese make up sizeable minority communities in Aichi and Shizuoka prefectures.

E

Ebisu - one of the Seven Lucky Gods of Japan. See Shichifukujin

Edo - the former name for Tokyo until the capital moved from Kyoto in 1868. Read more on Edo

Edokko - lit. 'Edo child' - a person born in downtown Tokyo.

Eiga - the Japanese word for film or movie. Read more on eiga

Eikaiwa - the Japanese word for English conversation classes - a national obsession. Read more on eikaiwa

Ekiben - lunch box bought at train stations.

Ema - an ema is wooden board or plaque bearing a written wish or prayer hung in Shinto shrines.

Enjo kosai - 'compensated dating'; a euphemistic term for schoolgirl prostitution with older men. Read more on enjo kosai

Enka - folk songs.

Enryo - restraint.

F

-Fu - urban prefecture.

Fude - calligraphy brush.

Fundoshi - loincloth.

Fureta- - "freeter" - part-time worker drifting between jobs.

Fusuma - sliding paper doors found in traditional housing.

Fugu - a blowfish; poisonous fish eaten as a delicacy in Japan.
Read more on fugu

Fujisan - Mount Fuji, Japan's highest peak at 3776m.
Read more on Mount Fuji

Furigana - hiragana script to aid pronunciation of kanji characters.

Fusuma - sliding paper and wood screen.

Futon - traditional mattress laid out on the floor for sleeping.

G

Gagaku - ancient court music.

Gaijin - 'foreigner', made up of the characters for 'outside' (gai) and 'person' (jin). A rather abrupt term generally replaced with the more elaborate gaikoku no kata in politer parlance.

Gals - urban fashion tribe.

Gaman - endurance.

Ganguro - fashion tribe that favors a heavily tanned look.

Gei-no-jin - TV "talent" or star.

Geisha - young women trained in traditional Japanese social arts to serve clients in tea houses. Training includes dance, musical instruments, song, flower arrangement (ikebana), and the tea ceremony (cha-no-yu). See Maiko.
Read more on geisha

Genkan - the genkan is the entrance area to a Japanese home where people remove their shoes.

Geta - wooden sandals.

Giri - social duties or obligations, hence giri-ninjo - duty and humanity.

Go - board game with black and white counters.

Gomagi - piece of wood in which Shinto prayers are written.

Goza - the woven straw covering of a tatami mat. tatami products

Gundam - legendary Japanese animated science fiction phenomenon.

H

Hachimaki - headband.

Hakko Ichiu - "the eight corners of the world under one roof" - militarist slogan of the early Showa Period.

Haiku - Japanese poem consisting of three lines arranged in a syllable count of 5-7-5.
Read more on haiku

Han - name for feudal territories in the Edo Period.

Hanami - flower viewing.

Hanko - personal seal/stamp.

Hanten - a padded cotton worker's coats. hanten products

Hanto - peninsula.

Happi coat - colorful thin cotton jackets usually worn on festive occasions. happi products

Haramaki - are traditional Japanese cotton belly warmers.

Hashi - chopsticks (箸).

Hashi - bridge (橋).

Hibakusha - survivors of the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Read more on hibakusha

Hihokan - a Japanese sex museum. Read more on hihokan

Hikari - express shinkansen train.

Hikikomori - a term for young people (mostly men) who become recluses and refuse to leave their homes to interact with society at large.

Hinomaru or Nisshoki - the Japanese national flag, literally 'sun disk'. Used first in the 8th century, it was revived as a flag for ships in the 19th. After a post-WWII lull, it regained popularity during the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Made the official flag of the nation in 1999, along with Kimigayo.
Read more about the Hinomaru

Hiragana - Japanese syllabary of rounded characters Read more about Hiragana

Hori-kotatsu - sunken place in a tatami room covered with a kotatsu table.

Hotei - god of happiness, derived from China.

I

Ikebana - the art of arranging cut flowers.

Ijime - bullying.

i-mode - wireless Internet developed by NTT for its mobile phones and based on a compact version of HTML, not compatible with WAP.

Irezumi - tattoo.

Irori - traditional fireplace or hearth.

Izakaya - Japanese pub serving food and drink in an informal, often lively, atmosphere. Read more on izakaya

J

JAF - Japan Automobile Federation.

JAL - Japan Airlines.

japan - in lower case means lacquerware, or urushi
Read more on japan

J-League - the professional Japanese soccer league formed in 1993, now consisting of 2 divisions: J1 & J2.
Read more on J-League

JNTO - Japan National Tourist Organization

-Jo - suffix meaning "castle" as in Osakajo - Osaka Castle.

J-pop - Japanese pop music often featuring young idol singers, boy-bands and girl-bands such as Morning Musume.

Jidoh-hanbai-ki - Automatic vending machines. There are over 5 million such machines in Japan dispensing mainly soft drinks, alcohol and cigarettes, but also batteries, confectionary - even porn.

Jika-tabi - split-toe rubber boots.

Jimmu - mythical first emperor of Japan.

Jinja - shrine.

Jisatsu - suicide. As of 2007, Japan's suicide rate is the eighth highest in the world with over 80 Japanese committing suicide daily. Read more about suicide in Japan.

Jitensha - bicycle.

Jizai Kagi - hearth hook.

Joshi-buka - boss-subordinate relationship in Japanese companies.

JR - Japan Railways.

JTB - Japan Travel Bureau.

Juku - cram-school.

K

Kabuki - highly-stylized traditional Japanese theater developed from the 17th century onwards. Read more on kabuki

Kaiseki ryori - Japanese haute cuisine made up of many small courses. Read more on Japanese food & Kaiseki ryori

Kaisha - company, firm.

Kaishaku - a second who delivered the coup de grace to a samurai committing seppuku.

Kaisoku - rapid train.

Kaitenzushi - Japanese sushi restaurants where the sushi revolves on a small conveyor belt.

Kagura - a type of traditional music and dance approaching pantomime. kagura products

Kami - Shinto 'gods' or spirits that may reside in animals, rocks, trees and other natural phenomena.

Kamikaze lit. 'divine wind' referring to the storm that destroyed the invading Mongol fleet in the thirteenth century, used again to describe the suicide pilots of the Japanese forces in the closing stages of World War II. (These, however, are usually referred to as tokkoh-tai-in by the Japanese.) Read more on kamikaze

Kampo - Chinese herbal medicine.

Kanji - the Chinese pictograms used in Japanese writing. Read more on kanji

Kannon - Buddhist goddess of mercy.

Kansai - western Japan including Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe. Read more on kansai

Kanto - eastern Japan including Tokyo and the surrounding area. Read more on kanto

Kappa - mythical frog-like evil sprite.

Karakuri - automated, mechanized puppets, automata.

Karaoke - lit. 'empty orchestra' - singing along to to your favorite tunes on a mic often in karaoke boxes. Read more on karaoke

Karoshi - death from overwork, see Salaryman.

Kashu - singer.

Katakana - Japanese syllabary of angular characters Read more about Katakana

Katorisenko - mosquito relling incense coils.

Kayokyoku - popular songs.

Keiretsu - conglomerate, cartel.

Keitai (denwa) - the Japanese term for mobile, or cell, phones. keitai rental

Kempeitai - Japanese military police first established in the Meiji Period (1868-1912).

Ken - prefecture - the generic suffix meaning "prefecture" used in 43 of Japan's 47 prefectures. Japan's Prefectures

Kendama - Japanese game of "cup and ball". kendama products

Kendo - martial art using a sword.

Ki - life force.

Kimigayo - a 10th century poem set to music in 1880 and adopted as the virtual national anthem of Japan in 1888. Past post-war controversy about its imperialistic associations has largely subsided, and in 1999 its use was finally codified in law, along with the Hinomaru.

Kimono - traditional Japanese dress worn by both men and women. kimono products

Kisha - reporters' clubs.

Koan - Zen riddle or fable.

Koban - or polibox - neighborhood police boxes. Read more on koban

Kodo - the cultivation of mental composure by burning incense.

Kodomo - child.

Kogal - Shibuya-based fashionistas.

Koinobori - carp streamers - colorful, fish-shaped flags flown outside houses to celebrate Boy's Day in Japan - symbols of manliness, strength and perseverance. koinobori products

Kokki - national flag.

Koku - an ancient measure of rice used to determine wealth in the Edo Period (1603-1868) equivalent to around 150kg, calculated to be sufficient to feed one person for a year. Japanese rice

Kombu - kelp or sea tangle used as a basic ingredient for stock. See Dashi.

Konbini - convenience stores - open 24/7 - sell just about everything as well as offering banking and postal services. Read more on konbini

Kotatsu - kotatsu are low heated tables covered with a futon.

Koto - 13-stringed musical instrument.

-Ku - suffix meaning administrative district or ward as in Kita-ku (North Ward)

Kudokushi - so-called "lonely deaths" people dying alone.

Kunaicho - Imperial Household Agency.

Kura - thick-walled storehouse.

Kusari-doi - rain chains on traditional Japanese buildings.

Kuyakusho - ward office.

Kyogen - short, traditional plays associated with Noh.

Kyudo - Japanese archery. A martial art that emphasizes the balance between action and tranquility.

Kyuko - ordinary express train.

Kyusu - Japanese ceramic tea pots with a handle at 90 degrees from the side. tea products

L

LDP - Liberal Democratic Party, Japan's ruling political party for much of the post-war period.

Live house - live music venue.

Lost Decade - so called period of economic stagnation in the 1990s after the burst of the "Bubble Economy".

Love hotel - a pay-by-the-hour short-stay hotel for couples. Read more on love hotels

M

Machiya - traditional townhouse.

Maiko - the term for a trainee Geisha. Read more

Mama-san - female bar or club owner.

Mamba - aka yamamba - sub-tribe of ganguro.

Maneki Neko - ceramic bekoning cats thought to bring good fortune, especially for businesses, as the cats are believed to attract customers with their beckoning paw. Maneki neko products

Manga - Japanese comic books, as popular with adults as with children. manga products

Manji - swastika symbol.

Manzai - A form of Japanese comic storytelling performed by a duo, largely associated with Osaka.

Matcha - powdered green tea.

Matsuri - a traditional Japanese festival. Read more on matsuri

Meiji Ishin - Meiji Restoration of imperial authority in 1869.

Meinichi - anniversary of a death.

Meishi - lit 'name thrust' or 'name stab' - aka business cards.

Men - a Japanese mask either carved from wood or made from a papier-mache base. See Noh. mask products

Miai - arranged date - usually o-miai.

Mikoshi - portable shrine paraded at festivals.

Minshuku - a traditional Japanese inn one rank down from a Ryokan. Read more on minshuku

Mirin - intensified, sweetened sake used in cooking.

Miso - fermented soybean paste ranging in color from yellow to brown. A staple of Japanese cuisine.

MITI - Ministry of International Trade & Industry.

Mizu-shobai - lit. "water trade" - entertainment business.

Mochi - steamed rice pounded into a glutinous cake and used as a staple ingredient in a variety of dishes, including desserts.

Mofu - blanket.

Mon - gate.

Mono no aware - "sweet sadness" - cultural concept of the transience of all things.

Mura - village

N

Naga Hibachi lit. 'long firebox'.

Nakodo - go-between in the traditional match-making process of 'omiai'. See omiai. Read more on nakado

Naruto - popular manga and anime created by Kishimoto Masashi.

Nemawashi - prior consultation in the business world.

Nengajo - New Year's card.

Netsuke - carved fastener made from wood or ivory.

N'EX - Narita Express train.

NHK - (Nihon Hohsoh Kyokai) - Japan's state TV & radio broadcaster.

Nihonjinron - theory of Japanese 'uniqueness' developed in the 1960s.

Ningyo - doll.

Nio - temple or shrine guardians.

Ninja - feudal-era master spies and assassins. Read more about ninja

Noh - a masked, highly stylized form of classical Japanese theater developed in the 14th century and subsequently refined to its present minimalism. See Men.

Noren - short curtain often hung in shop doorways indicating that the shop is open for business.
noren products

NTT - Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation.

Nyushi - entrance examination.

O

Obi - an embroidered sash for a kimono.

Ohaguro - custom of Japanese women blackening their teeth in the Edo Period.

Oibara - practice of seppuku after the death of your lord.

O-josan - lit. "princess" - young woman of conservative taste.

Okonomiyaki - a thick pancake served on a hot plate usually containing meat or seafood. Read more on okonomiyaki

OL - abbreviation for 'Office Lady' - a female office worker.

Omakase - "up to you" or "leave it to you" - often used in restaurants for the chef or waiter's recommendations.

Omiai (miai) - a system of match-making where single individuals are introduced to each other for purpose of possible marriage. See nakodo. Read more on omiai

O-miyage - souvenir.

Onnagata - man playing woman's role in kabuki.

Onigiri - a sticky rice ball wrapped in a seaweed often containing a filling of fish or a pickled plum: umeboshi.

Onsen - Japanese hot springs, often developed into resorts. Read more on onsen

O-shibori - hot towels provided in cafes and restaurants.

Otaku - nerdy hobbyist obsessed by manga, anime, gaming or other sub-cultures.

O-tsumami - snacks served in bars.

P

Pachinko - an automated, mechanical game of chance in the form of what is basically a vertical pinball machine. An extremely popular form of gambling in Japan. Read more on pachinko

Paris Syndrome - term for culture shock experienced by Japanese expats at finding reality differs from preconception.

Pongashi - lit. 'popped snacks' - roasted rice snacks. Read more on pongashi

Purikura - shortened form of "purinto kurabu" - teenage mug shots. Read more on purikura

Q

Q-chan - the nickname of popular marathon runner and 2000 Sydney Olympic marathon champion (her time 2hr, 23min, 14sec), Naoko Takahashi.

R

Rakugo - (lit. fallen words) traditional storytelling, often comic.

Ramen - Chinese-style wheat noodles served in a bone and vegetable stock and flavored with soy sauce (also known as chuka soba). Read more on ramen

Risutora - "restructuring" often meaning down-sizing of financially troubled companies.

Robatayaki - rustic-style izakaya.

Romaji - a system of transcribing the Japanese language in to the Latin alphabet. Read more about romaji

Ronin - masterless, wandering samurai; now used as a term for students re-taking university entrance exams.

Rotemburo - outside open-air bath.

Ryokan - a traditional Japanese inn. Also see Minshuku. Read more on ryokan

Ryotei - upmarket Japanese restaurant with private dining rooms.

Ryukyu Islands - or Nansei Islands - are a chain of islands stretching from the southern coast of Kyushu and including the islands of Okinawa. Read more on Okinawa

S

Sake - Japanese rice wine: a clear drink made from fermented rice, 14-16% alcohol by volume, served either warm or cold. Usually referred to honorifically as o-sake. Read more on sake

Saikeirei - 90 degree bow as sign of ultimate respect.

Sakoku - policy of seclusion adopted during the Edo Period which limited foreign trade and intercourse.

Sakura - cherry blossom.

Salaryman - the Japanese term for a male office worker.

-Sama - polite suffix.

Samue - casual Japanese clothing consisting of a matching loose-fitting jacket and pants.
samue products

Samurai - Japan's hereditary class of feudal warriors, outlawed in 1876 as part of Japan's modernization drive. Word derives from saburau meaning "to serve."

-San - polite suffix, meaning Mr or Mrs.

Sangokujin - literally 'third country person' - an old term for 'foreigner(s)' resurrected infamously in 2000 by the xenophobic governor of Tokyo, Shintaro Ishihara. See Gaijin.

Sankin Kotai - system of alternate residence where feudal lords (daimyo) during the Edo Period were required to spend alternate years in the shogunate capital, Edo, as a means of political control exercised by the Shogun.

SDF - Self-Defence Forces. Japan's de-facto armed forces.

Seku-hara - sexual harassment.

Sempai - one's elder and therefore superior at school or work.

Senryu - humerous haiku poem.

Sensei - teacher, master.

Sensu - a folding fan, often intricately carved and decorated. sensu 'folding fan' products

Sento - lit. 'penny-bath'; Japanese public bathhouses. Read more on sento

Seppuku - or 'harakiri' - ritual suicide performed by disembowelment with a sword. A form of penance undertaken by samurai warriors.

Seza - kneeling position.

-Shi - suffix meaning "city" thus Kyoto-shi is Kyoto city.

Shachihoko - shachi - mythical creature with tiger head and carp body used to protect Japanese castles.

Shamisen - lit. "three flavor strings" - musical instrument.

Shibui - austere sense of beauty.

Shichifukujin - the Seven Lucky Gods of Japan.

Shiken - examination, thus shiken-jigoku is "exam hell".

Shina - insulting, taboo word for China.

Shin-jinrui - lit. "new human species" media term for empty-headed, consumer-orientated youth.

Shinkansen - high-speed 'bullet train', originally built for the 1964 Olympics. Read more on shinkansen

Shinto - animist native religion of Japan.

Shirouo - small, transparent fish eaten alive. Read more on shirouo

Shitagi dorobo - underwear thief who snatches women's panties from washing lines.
Read more on underwear theft

Shitamachi - downtown area of Tokyo.

Shochu - Shochu is a distilled, clear alcoholic beverage made from a variety of different ingredients such as barley, buckwheat, sweet potatoes and sugar. shochu - Read more

Shodo - calligraphy, lit. "way of writing."

Shogi - chess-like game.

Shogun - military ruler.

Shogunate - military government associated with the Tokugawa regime of 1603-1867.

Shoji - paper-covered screens.

Shuji - calligraphy, lit. "practice of letters."

Shukubo - temple lodgings.

Shunga - erotic wood-block prints.

Soapland - bathhouses offering sexual services.

Soba - Japanese buckwheat noodles (resembling spaghetti) served in a soy-flavored, or sometimes clear, broth made from fish and seaweed stock: Dashi. Read more on noodles

Sonno joi - "Revere the Emperor; Expel the Barbarian" - Bakumatsu rallying call.

Soroban - abacus.

Soto - outside, public space.

Sumi-e - ink paintings.

Sumo - traditional Japanese wrestling; two loin-cloth clad wrestlers face off on a compacted, raised, rope-encircled sand ring, or dohyo, with the object of throwing the opponent to the ground or ejecting him from the ring.
Read more on sumo

Suribachi & Surikogi - (ceramic) mortar and (wooden) pestle.

Sushi - bite-sized servings of cooked sticky rice, served cold, flavored with sweet rice vinegar and grated green horseradish, or wasabi, and garnished with strips of raw or cooked fish, other seafood, cooked egg or vegetables. Also called maki-zushi when wrapped in dry seaweed, or nori.
Read more on sushi

T

Tabi - split-toe socks.

Taiko - traditional drums.

Taketombo - (lit. 'bamboo dragonfly') traditional flying toy made of bamboo which flies like a helicopter when spun from the hands.
Taketombo mask productｓ

Tako - kite.

Tanka - traditional form of poetry.

Tansu - traditional chest of drawers.

Tanuki - racoon-like animal often represented in ceramics.

Teiki-ken - train pass.

Teishoku - a set meal served in restaurants usually including rice, pickles and miso soup.

Tatami - woven straw mats used as flooring in Japanese homes. tatami products

Tengu - long nosed, red-faced, mischievous demi-god derived from the Hindu Garuda; often represented in statues and masks. tengu mask products

Terakoya - Edo Period elementary schools often located in Buddhist temples.

Tokkuri - sake flask.

Tokonoma - ornamental alcove often decorated with a scroll and/or flower arrangement. Read more about tokonoma

Torii - shrine gate lit. "bird perch".

Tosa - Edo Period province in Shikoku now known as Kochi. Also a breed of Japanese dog which was traditional breed as a fighting dog.

Tsukiai - salarymen's after work drinking, companionship.

Tsuru - crane - symbol of long life.

U

Uchi - belonging, one's own house; compare soto.

Uchikake - white wedding kimono with a white headdress. The headdress is big and bulky and is said to hide the bride's "horns" as a symbol of submission to her husband.
Read more on Japanese weddings

Udon - thick Japanese buckwheat noodles.
Read more on udon

Umeboshi - sour, pickled plums often eaten with rice.

Unten-menkyo - driving licence.

Ukiyo-e - lit. 'pictures of the floating world'; traditional Japanese woodblock prints dating from the Edo period (1603-1867).

Utai - Noh chant.

V

W

Wa - harmony also prefix to denote Japanese.

Wabi Sabi - a basic concept of Japanese aesthetics, stressing unpretentiousness, plainness, earthiness, and satisfaction with imperfection.

Waka - 31 syllable poem.

Wakame - a type of seaweed, usually found in Miso soup.
Read more on wakame

Waraji - woven straw sandals.
waraji products

Waribashi - disposable chopsticks.waribashi - Read more

Warikan - share the bill.

Wasabi - green horseradish, often eaten with Sushi.

Washi - Japanese rice paper. washi paper products

Washo - chant of encouragement at Shinto festivals.

X

Y

Yamabushi - mountain ascetic - mostly "part-time" nowadays.

Yabusame - Japanese mounted archery, horse-riders dressed in medieval costume fire arrows at three stationary targets. Began as a form of military training for samurai.
Read more on yabusame

Yaki-imo - baked yam (sweet potato) often sold by vendors from mini-vans with a distinctive call.
Read more on yaki-imo

Yakitori - charcoal-grilled chicken on skewers.
Read more on yakitori

Yakuza - collective name for the Japanese mafia or underworld crime syndicates. Yakuza movies have been a popular genre in Japanese cinema since the war, portraying gangsters as modern Japan's answer to the Samurai.

Yakyu - (lit. field ball) Japanese baseball - often associated with the ideals of team play and hard physical practice.
Read more on yakyu

Yamato - historic word for Japan.

Yamato-damashii - Japanese spirit; word with militarist associations.

Yatagarasu - three-legged crow and helper to Jimmu.

Yatai - stall.

Yofu - Western style as opposed to wafu, Japanese style.

Yokozuna - 'Grand Champion' - the highest rank in sumo wrestling.
Read more on sumo

Yosakoi - Yosakoi is group formation dancing to fast-paced modern electronic music, but is based on earlier folk dances from Kochi in Shikoku.
Read more on yosakoi

Yoshokuya - Western-style restaurants.

Yukata - thin cotton gown.

Yuzen - a dyeing technique invented by Yuzensai Miyazaki (died in Kyoto in 1758) using rice-paste that made possible the economic production of sumptuously decorated textiles. yuzen products

Z

Zabuton - floor cushions, 'za' meaning 'sitting' and 'buton' being Futon.

Zaibatsu - conglomerates.

Zainichi - second or third generation Koreans living in Japan. Read more on zainichi

Zazen - Zen meditation.

Zen - a branch of Mahayana Buddhism that first appeared in China in the sixth and seventh centuries and later spread to Japan.
Read more on zen

Zori - flat bottomed straw-woven sandals worn by both men and women.
zori products

Japanese Food Glossary
Japanese Acronyms & Abbreviations
Korean Glossary