ABSP - Japanese

Japanese

Words

adzuki adsuki aduki azuki	a kind of bean.
aikido	a Japanese martial art.
akita	a large powerfully built breed of Japanese dog.
anime	a genre of Japanese film based on manga comics.
arame	a type of seaweed
aucuba	a plant, Aucuba japonica.
ayu	a small edible Japanese fruit. Aka SWEETFISH.
banzai	a Japanese warlike shout.
basho	in sumo wrestling, a tournament. No —S.
bento obento	a Japanese lunchbox.
bonsai. No —S.	the art of growing dwarf trees.
bonze	a Japanese or Chinese Buddhist religious teacher.
budo	the system or philosophy of the martial arts.
bukkake	a Japanese sexual practice.
bunraku	a form of Japanese puppet theatre with large puppets.
bushido	a Japanese code of chivalry.
butsudan	in Japanese Buddhism, a small household altar.
chanoyu chanoyo+ chado+ sado	a Japanese tea ceremony.
chiyogami	a hand-printed patterned Japanese paper.
daikon	a long white Japanese root vegetable similar to a radish.
daimio daimyo	a Japanese territorial noble under the old feudal system.
daiko taiko	a large Japanese drum.
daimoku	a Nichiren Buddhist chant.
dan	a level of efficiency (in Japanese sport).
dashi	a clear fish stock used in Japanese cooking.
dohyo	a sumo wrestling ring.
dojo	a school for the martial arts.
edamame	a preparation of baby soybeans in the pod commonly found in Japan, China and Korea.
enoki	a thin white edible mushroom native to Japan.
enokidake enokitake	a tree, the Chinese hackberry.
fatsia	an evergreen spreading shrub of the ivy family. [Japanese yatsuda].
fugu	a toxin-containing fish
fuji	a silk fabric
fusuma	a Japanese sliding door. No —S.
futon	a Japanese mattress.
gagaku	a type of Japanese classical music.
gaijin	a Japanese term for a foreigner. No —S.
gari	thinly sliced pickled ginger, often served with SUSHI.
geisha	a trained Japanese hostess who entertains men with conversation, dance etc.
genro	a group of Japanese elder statemen.
geta	a Japanese wooden sandal with a thong between the toes.
gi	a judo or karate costume.
gingko ginkgo jingko	a kind of tree. [Japanese from Chinese jinxing, silver apricot].
goban	a board for the playing of go.
gohonzon	a Buddhist paper scroll.
gomoku gobang	a Japanese board game with the object of getting five in a row.
gongyo	a Buddhist ceremony.
gyoza	a fried dumpling.
habu	a poisonous snake.
haikai	a series of linked HAIKU.
haiku	a Japanese syllabic verse-form.
haniwa	Japanese clay sculptures. No —S.
hapkido	a Korean martial art > HAPKIDOS.
hibachi	a portable barbecue for cooking food out of doors.
hibakusha	a survivor of the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Pl. HIBAKUSHA.
hiragana	one of two sets of Japanese syllabaries, having a cursive form. Cf. KATAKANA.
hizen	a type of richly decorated Japanese porcelain.
hokku	a series of HAIKU.
honcho	a boss; (verb) to take charge of. [Japanese honcho, from hon (squad) + cho (chief).]
ikebana	the Japanese art of formal flower arrangement with special regard shown to balance, harmony, and form. [Japanese: ikeru, to arrange + hana, flower.]
imari	a type of Japanese porcelain, richly decorated in red green and blue.
inro	a small Japanese container for pills and medicines. No —S.
ippon	a clean throw in judo.
issei	a Japanese immigrant to the USA.
jinricksha jinrickshaw jinrickisha ricksha rickshaw rikshaw rikishaw jinriksha	a small two-wheeled hooded carriage drawn by a man. [Japanese jin, man, + riki, power, + sha, carriage].
jiujitsu jujutsu jujitsu jiujutsu	a Japanese combat art.
jomon	a particular era in Japanese history.
judo	a Japanese form of unarmed combat.
judoka judoist	one who practises judo.
judogi	jacket and trousers worn by a practitioner of judo.
juku	a Japanese school that prepares students for university entrance exams.
kabuki	a formal, stylized Japanese drama.
kago	a Japanese basketwork PALANQUIN.
kaizen	the Japanese principle of continuously improving work practice.
kaki	a kind of fruit, like a persimmon.
kakemono	a Japanese vertical wall-picture or inscription mounted on a roller.
kakiemon	a kind of Japanese porcelain.
kakuro	a kind of logic puzzle, resembling a mathematical crossword.
kami	a Japanese divine being.
kamikaze	in Japanese tradition, the gale that destroyed the fleet of the invading Mongols in 1281.
kana	Japanese syllabic writing.
kanban	the manufacturing strategy of delivering parts only when needed.
kanji	the characters in Japanese orthography which originate from written Chinese.
kanten	agar-agar jelly.
karaoke	a Japanese instrument of torture.
karate	a martial art.
karateka	a practitioner of karate.
karoshi	death caused by overwork.
kata	a sequence of movements in the martial arts.
katana	a long single-edged samurai sword.
katakana	a Japanese writing system. Cf. HIRAGANA.
katsura	an Asian tree.
keiren keirin	an 8-lap track cycling event in which the riders follow a motorcycle pacer for the first 5 1/2 laps, sprinting the remaining 2 1/2 laps after the motorcycle has pulled off the track.
keiretsu	a hierarchy of supplies part-owned by a parent company.
kendo	a Japanese martial art, stick fighting.
ki	the Japanese martial art spirit.
kibei	an American Japanese educated in Japan.
kirimon	one of the two Japanese imperial crests.
kikumon	the chrysanthemum badge of the Japanese imperial family.
kimono	a traditional Japanese costume.
kirigami	the Japanese art of cutting and folding paper.
koan	a paradox meditated on by Buddhist monks.
koban kobang obang	an obsolete Japanese gold coin.
kogal	a teenage girl or young woman noted for her busy social life and her purchase of expensive designer clothes and accessories and the latest electronic gadgets.
koi	a Japanese carp.
koji	a fungus used to initiate fermentation in making soy sauce.
koka	the lowest score awarded in judo, three points.
kombu konbu	a kind of Japanese seaweed.
koto	a Japanese musical instrument.
kudzu	an Asian vine
kumite	freestyle fighting or sparring.
kuzu	a thickening agent used in a macrobiotic diet.
kyu	a novice grade in e.g. judo.
kyogen	a comic interlude between Noh plays.
maiko	an apprentice geisha.
maki	a small segment cut from a roll of long rice.
makunouchi	the highest division in sumo wrestling.
makimono	a Japanese scroll featuring pictures or calligraphy. Cf. KAKEMONO.
manga	a type of adult comic book popular in Japan.
manrikigusari	a type of weapon consisting of weights on a chain.
masu	a Japanese salmon.
matsuri	a Shinto festival held at a shrine.
matsutake	a Japanese mushroom.
medacca medaka	a small Japanese freshwater fish.
meishi	a Japanese calling or business card.
mibuna	a Japanese vegetable, closely related to MIZUNA.
mikado	an emperor of Japan.
mino	a raincoat of hemp etc. Pl. MINOS.
minshuku	a Japanese guesthouse.
mirin	a sweet rice wine used in Japanese cooking.
miso	a type of food paste.
mizuna	a variety of lettuce with crisp green leaves.
mon	a Japanese family badge or crest.
mondo	a rapid question-and-answer technique used in Zen Buddhism.
mook	a magazine in book form.
mousme mousmee	a Japanese girl, esp. a waitress.
moxa	a soft woolly mass prepared from the young leaves of Artemisia chinensis, and used as a cautery by burning it on the skin; hence, any substance used in a like manner, as cotton impregnated with niter, amadou. [Japanese mogusa].
mura	a Japanese village.
nandin nandina	an evergreen Asiatic shrub of the barberry family. [Japanese nanten].
nashi	an Asian pear.
netsuke	a small Japanese toggle, decorated with inlays or carving, used to fasten purse to kimono.
nigiri	a small oval block of wasabi, cold rice and fish.
nihonga	a Japanese style of painting, using bright colours and traditional images.
ninja	a Japanese martial arts expert.
ninjitsu ninjutsu	a Japanese martial art, teaching stealth and camouflage.
niramiai	in sumo wrestling, a period of stamping and glaring to cow the opponent.
nisei	a second-generation Japanese immigrant.
nogaku	= NO, the traditional Japanese style of drama. No —S.
noh	a kind of Japanese classical drama. No —S.
nori	dried seaweed pressed into sheets, eaten in Japan.
norimon	a Japanese covered litter, carried by men.
nunchaku numchuck	a martial arts weapon consisting of two sticks joined by a length of chain.
obi	a broad Japanese sash. {N.B. this is also a West Indian word, meaning witchcraft, and as such can be conjugated as a verb).
ojime	a carved bead through which to pass the two cords attached to a Japanese INRO and which when slid down keeps the cords fastened.
okimono	a Japanese ornament or figurine.
origami	the Japanese art of paper-folding.
otaku	young computer nerds. No —S.
ozeki	a champion sumo wrestler.
pachinko	a Japanese arcade game.
panko	a variety of breadcrumb from Japanese and French cuisine used to create a crunchy coating for fried foods. [Japanese pan, bread, + ko, flour].
ponzu	a type of Japanese sauce.
raku	a kind of earthenware made in Japan, resembling Satsuma ware, but having a paler color.
ramen	a Japanese dish of clear broth with noodles.
reiki	a form of Japanese massage therapy.
rikishi	a champion sumo wrestler. No —S.
roji	a form of Japanese garden design.
rokkaku	a Japanese fighting kite. No —S.
romaji	a system of transliterating Japanese into the Roman alphabet.
ronin	a lordless SAMURAI.
roshi	a teacher of Zen Buddhism.
rumaki	a Japanese appetizer: marinated chicken liver and a water chestnut grilled in a rasher of bacon.
ryokan	a traditional Japanese inn.
saikei	a Japanese miniature landscape of bonsai trees etc.
saki sake	a Japanese rice wine.
sama	a Japanese title given to an exalted person.
samisen shamisen	a banjo-like Japanese 3-stringed instrument.
samurai	a Japanese warrior.
san	a Japanese title or form of address equivalent to Mr or Mrs, placed after the name.
sansei	a resident of the Americas born of the offspring of Japanese immigrants.
sashimi	fish, sliced paper-thin and served raw.
satori	the illumination of spirit sought by Zen Buddhists
satsuma	a small citrus fruit.
sayonara	goodbye.
sen	a monetary unit of Japan. Pl. SEN or SENS.
sensei+ sensi	a teacher.
senryu	a 3-line Japanese poem. No —S.
seppuku	Japanese ritual suicide by cutting open the stomach.
shakudo	an alloy of copper and a small percentage of gold, used in Japanese decorative art, esp. in sword fittings.
shakuhachi	a Japanese bamboo flute.
shiai	a judo contest.
shiatsu shiatzu	a form of massage given with the fingers.
shibuichi	an alloy of three parts copper to one part silver, used in Japanese decorative art to give a silver-grey patina.
shinju	a ritual double suicide of lovers.
shitake shiitake	a large dark brown mushroom used in Japanese cookery.
shippo	Japanese cloisonne ware. Nice hook for HIPPO!
shiso	a plant with aromatic leaves used in Japanese cooking.
shogi	a Japanese board game.
shogun	a hereditary military governor of Japan.
shoji	a translucent paper screen forming a sliding door or partition in a Japanese house.
shoyu	soy sauce.
shubunkin	a type of variegated, large-finned goldfish.
shuriken	a hand-held throwing weapon, either long and thin or flat and star-shaped, used by ninja warriors.
sika	a kind of small deer. [Japanese shika].
skimmia	a kind of plant.
skosh	a small amount. [Japanese sukoshi, a little bit].
soba	noodles made from buckwheat flour.
sokaiya	a Japanese corporate racketeer. No —S.
soroban	a Japanese abacus.
sukiyaki	a dish of sliced meat, vegetables, and seasoning, fried together.
sumo	a Japanese form of wrestling.
sumotori	a sumo wrestler.
surimi	synthetic Japanese crabmeat. No —S.
sushi	a Japanese dish of raw fish sliced.
tabi	a kind of sock worn with Japanese sandals.
tai	a Japanese sea bream.
tamari	a concentrated sauce made of soya beans and salt.
tanka	a 5-line Japanese verse form, its 1st and 3rd lines comprised of 5 syllables, the rest of 7.
tanuki	the fur of the raccoon dog.
tatami	a Japanese straw floor mat.
tempura	a Japanese dish of vegetables and shrimp dipped in batter and deep-fried.
tenno	the formal title of an Emperor of Japan.
teriyaki	a Japanese dish of meat or shellfish.
tofu	a soft Oriental cheese made from soybean milk
tokonoma	a small alcove in a Japanese house.
torii	a Japanese Shinto temple gateway. No —S.
tosa	a heavily built, smooth-haired dog.
tsuba	a metal plate at the top of a Japanese scabbard, serving as a sword-guard.
tsunami	a great sea wave produced by submarine earth movement or volcanic eruption.
tsutsugamushi	any of various rickettsial disease, including scrub typhus. [Japanese tsutsuga, disease + mushi, insect).
tsutsumu	the Japanese art of wrapping articles in a harmonious way.
udo	a Japanese plant with edible shoots.
umami	a savoury flavour, the taste of monosodium glutamate.
urushiol	an oily phenolic liquid causing skin irritation, which is the toxic principle of poison ivy and other plants, and the main constituent of Japanese lacquer. [Japanese urushi, the plant].
wagyu	a Japanese breed of beef cattle.
waka	a Japanese verse-form.
waribashi	A pair of chopsticks.
wasabi	Japanese horse-radish, much used in Japanese cooking as a condiment.
yagi	a type of shortwave antenna, named after a Japanese engineer.
yakimono	cooking grilled food.
yakitori	marinated chicken pieces on skewers.
yakuza	a Japanese gangster. No —S.
yen	a Japanese monetary unit.
yokozuna	a champion sumo wrestler.
yukata	a light kimono.
yuko	in judo, a points penalty.
yuzu	a type of citrus fruit.
zaibatsu	a powerful, family-controlled Japanese combine. No —S.
zaikai	the business community of Japan.
zaitech	the commercial practice of investing in financial markets to augment a company's normal earnings.
zazen	Zen meditation
zelkova	a Japanese tree.
zori	a Japanese sandal.

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