Japanese Terms Used in English

adzuki

Either the plant or the seed of the azuki bean

anime

An artistic style used in Japanese animation that has also been adopted by some artists in America and other countries.

arame

A seaweed, Eisenia bicyclis, used in Japanese cuisine.

banzai

Thrill-seeking; wild.

bento

a Japanese takeaway lunch served in a box

bokeh

subjective aesthetic quality of out-of-focus areas of an image projected by a camera lens

bonsai

A tree or plant that has been miniaturized by restriction of its roots and by careful pruning.

bonze

A Buddhist priest in Japan.

bunraku

A traditional form of Japanese puppetry.

daikon

A white, large cultivar of radish, Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus, used in the cuisines of Japan, China, and Korea.

daimyo

A lord during the Japanese feudal period.

dashi

A type of soup or cooking stock, often made from kelp.

dojo

A training facility, usually led by one or more sensei

domoic

Of or pertaining to domoic acid or its derivatives

edamame

fresh green soybeans boiled as a vegetable

fugu

Blowfisha delicacy popular in Japan served raw as sushi that may, if improperly prepared, contain deadly levels of neurotoxins.

geisha

A Japanese female entertainer skilled in various arts such as tea ceremony, dancing, singing and calligraphy.

genro

A body of elder statesmen of Japan, formerly used as informal advisors to the Emperor.

geta

a pair of Japanese raised wooden clogs worn with traditional Japanese garments, such as the kimono

ginkgo

A tree native to China with small, fan-shaped leaves and edible seeds.

gyoza

A Japanese crescent-shaped dumpling filled with a minced stuffing and steamed, boiled or fried; the Japanese equivalent of the Chinese jiaozi

haiku

A Japanese poem of a specific form, consisting of three lines, the first and last consisting of five morae, and the second consisting of seven morae, usually with an emphasis on the season or a naturalistic theme.

hara-kiri

Ceremonial suicide by ripping open the abdomen with a dagger or knife: formerly practised in Japan by members of the warrior class when disgraced or sentenced to death.

hari-kari

An alternative spelling of hara-kiri, considered to be incorrect.

hentai

anime, manga or similar mediums containing pornographic artwork.

hibachi

A portable brazier, powered by charcoal, used for cooking.

honcho

boss, leader

ikebana

Japanese flower arrangement

imari

Japanese porcelain wares (made in the town of Arita and exported from the port of Imari, particularly around the 17th century)

inro

a small decorative box, hung from the sash of a kimono, for holding small objects

judo

A Japanese martial art and sport adapted from jujutsu.

kabuki

A form of Japanese theatre in which elaborately costumed male performers use stylized movements, dances, and songs in order to enact tragedies and comedies.

kakemono

A vertical Japanese scroll painting

kakiemon

Japanese porcelain wares featuring enamel decoration

kanban

a card containing a set of manufacturing specifications and requirements, used to regulate the supply of components

karaoke

A form of entertainment popular in clubs, at parties, etc, in which individual members of the public sing along to pre-recorded instrumental versions of popular songs, the lyrics of which are displayed for the singer on a screen in time with the music

karate

An Okinawan martial art involving primarily punching and kicking, but additionally, advanced throws, arm bars, grappling and all means of fighting.

katsura

One of two species of trees in the genus Cercidiphyllum; one of the largest trees in Asia.

keiretsu

A set of Japanese companies with interlocking business relationships and shareholdings.

kendo

a Japanese martial art using "swords" of split bamboo.

kimono

A form of traditional Japanese clothing that is worn in formal occasions.

kirigami

Origami, with cutting permitted.

koan

A story about a Zen master and his student, sometimes like a riddle, other times like a fable, which has become an object of Zen study, and which, when meditated upon, may unlock mechanisms in the Zen student’s mind leading to satori.

koi

Ornamental domesticated varieties of the common carp, Cyprinus carpio, of Japan and eastern Asia with red-gold or white coloring.

koji

a mold, Aspergillus oryzae, used in the manufacture of miso, amasake, sake etc.

kombu

Edible kelp used in East Asian cuisine

koto

a Japanese musical instrument having numerous strings, usually seven or thirteen, that are stretched over a convex wooden sounding board and are plucked with three plectra, worn on the thumb, index finger, and middle finger of one hand.

kudzu

An Asian vine grown as a root starch.

makimono

A type of Japanese hand scroll which unrolls vertically.

manga

A comic; a non-animated cartoon, especially one done in a Japanese style.

matsutake

a kind of mushroom, Tricholoma matsutake

mikado

A former title of the emperors of Japan during a certain period.

mirin

a form of Japanese rice wine, less alcoholic than sake

miso

a thick paste made by fermentation of soybeans; used in making soups and sauces

mizuna

One of several tangy green used in Japanese cuisine, usually Brassica rapa var. nipposinica

moxa

Mugwort root, as used in moxibustion.

moxibustion

The burning of moxa against the skin to treat pain or illness.

netsuke

a small, often collectible, artistic carving characterized by an opening or two small holes (himotoshi), most commonly made of wood or ivory, used as a fob at the end of a cord attached to a suspended pouch containing pens, medicines, or tobacco.

noh

a form of classical Japanese music drama

nori

A type of seaweed, laver chopped and formed into sheets, used in the preparation of sushi.

obi

A sash worn with a kimono.

origami

The Japanese art of paper folding.

otaku

One with an obsessive interest for something, particularly anime or manga.

panko

Coarse, dry breadcrumbs used in Japanese cuisine

ramen

Soup noodles of wheat, with various ingredients (Japanese style)

rickshaw

A two-wheeled carriage pulled along by a person.

sai

A handheld weapon with three prongs, used in some Oriental martial arts.

sake

cause, interest or account

sashimi

Of or pertaining to the type of sushi served without sticky white rice.

satori

A sudden inexpressible feeling of inner understanding or enlightenment.

satsuma

A type of tangerine, grown in Kyushu, JapanCitrus unshiu.

sayonara

(casual) goodbye

senryu

a haiku-like poem of up to 17 syllables usually humorous or satirical.

sensei

The Japanese term for teacher. It has been adopted into English mostly for use with martial arts instructors.

shamisen

A kind of three-stringed Japanese fretless lute

shiatsu

A form of massage, using the thumbs and palms, employed as therapy

shiitake

A wide, brown variety of edible mushroom.

shogun

The supreme generalissimo of feudal Japan.

skosh

A tiny amount; a little bit; tad; smidgen; jot.

soba

A Japanese buckwheat noodle

soy

A Chinese and Japanese liquid sauce for fish, made by subjecting boiled beans to long fermentation and then long digestion in salt and water.

sudoku

A type of puzzle whose completion requires each of typically nine rows and columns and each of as many usually square subregions to contain, without duplication, 1 up to 9 or the grid dimension.

sukiyaki

A Japanese dish of thinly-sliced beef and tofu with dashi, mirin and soy sauce cooked quickly at the table.

sumo

a stylised Japanese form of wrestling in which a wrestler loses if he is forced from the ring, or if any part of his body except the soles of his feet touch the ground.

surimi

A white paste, made from ground fish, that is used to make formed and textured food products.

sushi

A Japanese dish of vinegared, short-grained, sticky white rice with various other ingredients, usually raw fish, other types of seafood, or vegetables.

tamari

A type of soy sauce made without wheat, having a rich flavor.

tanka

a form of Japanese verse in five lines of 5,7,5,7,7 syllables

tanuki

the raccoon dog, Nyctereutes procyonoides

tempura

A dish made by deep-frying vegetables, seafood, or other foods in a light batter.

teppanyaki

A Japanese style of cooking in which thin slices of meat, or fish, seafood, vegetables and noodles are quickly fried on a hotplate

teriyaki

A cooking technique used in Japanese cuisine in which foods are broiled or grilled in a sweet soy sauce marinade.

tofu

A protein-rich food made from curdled soybean milk.

tsunami

A very large and destructive wave, generally caused by a tremendous disturbance in the ocean, such as an undersea earthquake or volcanic eruption.

tycoon

A wealthy and powerful business person.

udon

a Japanese wheat noodle

ukiyo-e

a Japanese woodblock print or painting depicting everyday life

umami

One of the five basic tastes, that of glutamate proteins or other similar compounds, notably monosodium glutamate.

unagi

A type of sushi. Specifically fresh-water eel.

urushiol

An oil found in plants of the family Anacardiaceae, causing an allergic skin rash on contact; consists of a variable mixture of several organic compounds.

wasabi

An imitation of this condiment made from horseradish with green dye.

yakitori

A Japanese shishkabob-type dish made with small pieces of chicken, fish, vegetables or beef which have been marinated in soy sauce and then cooked on skewers.

zaibatsu

Japanese term for ‘money clique’ or conglomerate, and sometimes used in the United States to refer to any large corporation.

zen

A denomination of Buddhism

zori

Japanese sandals made from rice straw or lacquered wood, worn with a kimono for formal occasions.