A B C D E F G H I K M N O R S T U Y Z
| Aburaage | fried bean curd |
|---|---|
| Ajisai | hydrangeas |
| Atakai | warm, as in water or sake |
| Atari | win |
| Bonenkai | end of year party |
| Bunraku | classical Japanese puppet theatre |
| Bushi | warrior |
| Chainbara | sword dance |
| Chanko | a Japanese stew, particularly popular with sumo wrestlers |
| Chanoyu | tea ceremony |
| Chiba | prefecture bordering on the north east of Tokyo |
| Chiku | a small district, so many chiku form a cho, so many cho form a ku (or ward) |
| Daijogi | Large beer glass which holds a full 750mlbottle |
| Dango | rice dumpling |
| Domburi | dish with a rice base and a variety of toppings |
| Edo | the old name for Tokyo during the reign of the Tokugawa shogun |
| Enka | tradional Japanese song |
| Fugu | blowfish, globefish, guppy |
| Fukuoka | prefecture in northern Kyushu |
| Futon | mattress beds used on the floor in Japan |
| Gaijin | foreigner, the opposite of Japanese, nihonjin |
| Hachi | bees |
| Hadagi | the undercoat worn during festivals |
| Hanafubuki | the falling cherry blossoms |
| Hanamachi | Part of the Kabuki stage, a pathway that leads out into the audience pit |
| Hanami | Appreciation of the flowers |
| Happi | the overcoat worn during a festival (Happi ja nai, I'm not a happi/ Happi o arimasen, I don't have a happi) |
| Haramaki | stomach wrap |
| Honshu | the largest of the Japanese islands |
| Horumonyaki | grilled offal |
| Hotaru | fire flies |
| Inago | honeyed grasshoppers |
| Ikebana | classical Japanese flower arrangement |
| Ikejiri Ohashi | district of Tokyo |
| Kabuki | a type of classical Japanese theatre |
| Kabuto | samurai helmet |
| Kagura | Sacred dance at festivals, often on mobile floats |
| Kamakura | city to the south of Yokohama, famous for its temples |
| Kanagawa-ken | the prefecture of which Yokohama is the capital |
| Kanji | Japanese writing, the ideographic characters |
| Kanto | The region in which Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama, Gunma and Ibaraki are situated |
| Keiro-no-hi | Respect for the Aged Day, a public holiday in Japan on 15th September |
| Kendo | Bamboo sword fencing |
| Kentaki | Kentucky Fried Chicken |
| Kiku | chrysanthenum |
| Kine | Mallet used for pounding New Year rice cakes |
| Kohai | Junior |
| Koto | Japanese stringed instrument |
| Kyudo | Japanese archery |
| Macha | powdered green tea |
| Make | loss |
| Makizushi | sushi roll, wrapped in seaweed laver |
| Manshon | apartment in a ferro-concrete building |
| Matsu | pine tree |
| Matsuri | a festival |
| Meiji | the honorific name of the Japanese emperor who took over from the Tokugawa shogunate in the 19th. Century |
| Mejiro | Suburb of Tokyo, stop on the Yamanote line |
| Mentaiko | spicy sea bream roe. Yum! |
| Mosotake | bamboo of the Moso breed |
| Mushi | insect |
| Nani | what? |
| Natto | Fermented soya beans |
| Nihonshu | sake, rice wine |
| Nikko | City in northern Tochigi Prefecture, famous for its temples |
| Ni-kyu | second student rank in Judo, usually blue belt |
| Nomi | Tool used for the digging of bamboo shoots |
| Nori | seaweed for eating |
| Obasan | Auntie |
| Obatarian | Pushy, older woman |
| Obento | lunch box |
| Obon | Festival for the dead in August |
| Oden | Japanese stew |
| Oishii | Delicious! |
| Okonomiyaki | Japanese pancake with toppings similar to a pizza |
| OL | office lady |
| Omikoshi | portable Shinto shrine. Omikoshi-san, someone who carries the omikoshi |
| Omochi | New Year rice cakes |
| Onigiri | rice balls with tasty centres |
| Oolon cha | Oolong tea |
| Oseibo | New Year festival |
| Otorii | sacred Shinto gates |
| Ozoni | soup made with omochi rice cakes |
| Rakugo | classical Japanese story telling |
| Ramen | noodles |
| Ran | orchid |
| Rinshunkan | appreciation of the sounds of the insects |
| Saboten | Cactus |
| Sakaba | working man's pub |
| Sake | specifically rice wine, but the Japanese refer to booze in general as sake |
| Sakura | cherry blossom |
| Samurai | Japanese gentleman in the archaic sense of the word, usually of military accomplishment |
| Sansho | a leaf herb, often served with eel or bamboo shoots |
| Sashimi | Raw fish, specially sliced in thin fillets |
| Sekibutsu | Stone image of Buddha |
| Senbei | rice crackers |
| Senpai | senior. Most Japanese schools and businesses establish a senior/junior relationship among their members |
| Sensei | teacher |
| Sento | Public bath house |
| Shabu Shabu | Cook at the table stew, usually with a beef base |
| Shinjuku | Major district in Tokyo |
| Shinto | Along with Buddhism, Japan's major religions. While Buddhism had its origins in India and China, Shinto is very much a home-grown faith |
| Shirako | Sperm of the sea bream, often served with sushi rice |
| Shiso | a leaf herb, often served with sushi |
| Shitamachi | downtown. In Tokyo, Asakusa and Ueno. In Yokohama, Minami-ku |
| Shobu | irises |
| Shochu | Japanese alcoholic spirit |
| Shodo | Japanese calligraphy |
| Shogi | Japanese board game which has some similarities to chess |
| Shogun | Military ruler of Japan. The first shogun was established in Kamakura in the 12th. Century. The most famous Shogunate was run by the Tokugawa family for two and a half centuries. Many Japanese referred to General MacArthur as a shogun during the American occupation of the country after World War II |
| Shoji | paper sliding screens |
| Showa | Official name of the Emperor Hirohito. It is used with the Japanese name for the year. Showa 45, for example, was 1970. Akihito's name is Heisei. 1995 is Heisei 7 |
| Soba | buckwheat noodles |
| Sukkyo | Japanese music hall theatre |
| Sumie | Japanese traditional ink painting |
| Sumo | Sumo wrestling, the forgotten martial art |
| Sushi | Rice balls |
| Suteki | smart, fashionable, chic |
| Tabi | thin-souled shoes with a partition between the big toe and the other toes |
| Taiko | Japanese drum |
| Taikokan | gymnasium |
| Taiku-no-hi | Fitness day, a holiday in Japan on 10th. October |
| Take | bamboo |
| Takenoko | edible bamboo shoots |
| Taue | rice planting |
| Temakizushi | sushi rolled in a cone, wrapped in seaweed laver |
| Tenpura | lightly battered seafood and vegetables |
| Teppanyaki | Japanese steakhouse |
| Tokoroten | arrowroot jelly |
| Tokugawa | the family name of the shogun who ruled Japan from 1600 to the mid-19th. Century |
| Tsurumigawa | the largest river that runs through Yokohama |
| Tsuyu | Japanese monsoon |
| Ume | plum, plum tree |
| Umeboshi | pickled plum |
| Umeshu | plum wine |
| Unagi | freshwater eel |
| Usu | wooden bowl for pounding rice |
| Yakisoba | fried noodles |
| Yakuza | the Japanese mafia |
| Yamanote | the train line that rides in a circle around Tokyo |
| Yomesan | Wife of the eldest son |
| Zen | Japanese sect of Buddhism |