A Glossary of Japanese Words

Most of the italicized foreign words in the text are defined in one of the articles where they appear, but the following terms may require some explanation:

Bodhisattva: in Buddhism, a divinity, or one on the path of enlightenment who may later be reincarnated as a Buddha.

Daimyo: the great lords of the feudal principalities who were powerful in Japan from the Middle Ages to the Meiji Restoration in 1867. Hereditary landowners of the Samurai warrior class, they often had their own armies and resisted control by the Shoguns and the emperor.

geisha: the skilled female professional entertainers of Japan, highly trained in music, dance and the art of conversation.

Ginza: the district around Tokyo’s main shopping street.

Ronin: a masterless Samurai, or one who had lost his feudal position; the Chushingura, or Forty-Seven Ronin, is one of the classics of Japanese historical romance and drama.

sake: the most popular alcoholic beverage of Japan, fermented from rice. It is usually warmed for drinking.

Samurai: feudal retainers and members of the warrior class.

Shogun: title of a military leader; from the Middle Ages to the Meiji Restoration the Shoguns dominated the emperors and were the virtual rulers of Japan. Rival factions fought each other to obtain and hold this power.

yen: the unit of Japanese currency; 100 sen make one yen; at current exchange there are 360 yen to the U.S. dollar.