Departments
More Categories: History, Business
S o c i e t y a n d C u l t u r e
General
ASAMESHI MAE (before breakfast)
ASA NI YOWAI (weak in the morning)
BAN-KURUWASE (upsetting the ranking)
- BENTOO (box lunch)
- BITA-ICHIMON (a single cent)
CHA-NOMI-BANASHI (talk over tea)
CHAWAN-MUSHI (a Japanese dish)
CHAZUKE (tea rice)
CHOOCHIN MOCHI (lantern carrier)
CHOONAIKAI (neighborhood association)
CHOONAN (eldest son)
DAIKON OROSHI (grated white radish)
DANCHI (housing complex)
DANGO (dumpling)
DORU-BAKO (dollar box)
DOSA-KUSA (confusion)
FUTORO-GATANA (dagger; right-hand man)
FUTON (futon)
GAIJIN ("outsider")
GIRI-CHOKO ("duty chocolate")
GOGATSU-BYOO ("May sickness")
HESOKURI (secret savings)
I NO NAKA NO KAWAZU (a frog in the well)
JUUHACHIBAN (one's specialty)
JUKU (cram school)
KARAOKE (karaoke)
KOOBAN (police box)
MANGA (Japanese comics)
- MENRUI (noodles)
SHIKEN JIGOKU ("examination hell")
SHOOYU (soy sauce)
TENNOO (the Japanese emperor)
TENPURA (tenpura cuisine)
Human Relationships
AMAE (dependence on others)
UNMEI KYOODOOTAI ("community of fate")
- CHUUGEN (midsummer gift)
DAIKOKU BASHIRA (central pillar)
DANSON JOHI ("predominance of men over women")
EN NO SHITA NO CHIKARA MOCHI (the strong person under the floor)
- GOMA-SURI (sesame grinding)
HONNE TO TATEMAE (true intentions vs. outward appearance)
ISHIN-DENSHIN ("What the mind thinks the heart transmits")
MAJIME (sincerity)
MISHIRANU HITO (stranger)
O-MIAI (marriage interview)
Contemporary Topics
AUM SHINRI KYO (Japan's doomsday cult)
ENJO KOOSAI ("compensated dating")
FUTSUU NO KUNI ("an ordinary country")
KOKUSAI KEKKON (international marriage)
IJIME (bullying)
KAROOSHI ("death from overwork")
KURISUMASU KEEKI ("Christmas cakes")
SHOOSHI KOOREI-KA ("few children, aging population")
TABAKO (tobacco; smoking)
YAKUZA (Japanese organized crime)
Language
AIZUCHI (chiming in)
ARIGATOO (thank you)
BANZAI (banzai!)
BAKA-SHOOJIKI (foolishly honest)
CHOTTO IPPAI (a quick drink)
CHOTTO MUZUKASHII ("It's a little difficult")
EIKAIWA (conversational English)
GAIRAIGO (foreign loanword)
KANSAI-BEN (Kansai Japanese; Kansai dialect)
IMI-KOTOBA (taboo word)
Traditional Japanese Culture
AMA (pearl diver)
AI-AI-GASA (courtship umbrella)
ATO NO MATSURI (after the festival)
- BON (O-Bon holiday)
- BONSAI (bonsai tree)
- BUDOO (martial arts)
- BUKKYOO (Budhism)
- BUNKA NO HI (Culture Day)
- BOONENKAI (forget-the-year party)
- BUTSUDAN (Buddhist altar)
CHA (tea)
CHA-BOOZU (tea priest)
CHA NO MA (tea room)
EMA (horse picture)
ENNICHI (festival day)
FUJI-SAN (Mt. Fuji)
FURO (bath)
FUROSHIKI (cloth wrapper)
- HANAMI (cherry-blossom viewing)
HANKO (personal seal)
HASHI (chopsticks)
HOOI (good directions, evil directions)
HOOJI (Buddhist memorial service)
IKEBANA (flower arranging)
JICHINSAI (ground-breaking ceremony)
JINJA (Shinto shrine)
JIZOO (Jizo, a Japanese deity)
KAPPA (kappa)
KIMONO (kimono)
KITSUNE (the fox god)
KOBAN (koban coin)
MAAJAN (mahjong)
MANEKI-NEKO (beckoning cat statue)
MISO (miso)
NICHIREN (Nichiren Buddhism)
- NIHON-TEIEN (Japanese-style garden)
- NOH (Noh theater)
- RYOKAN/RYOOTEI (traditional Japanese inn / restaurant)
SADOO (tea ceremony)
SAKE (sake)
SETSUBUN ("The Bean-Scattering Festival")
SHICHIFUKUJIN (The Seven Gods of Fortune)
SHICHIGOSAN ("Seven-Five-Three Festival")
SHINTOO (Shinto, a major religion of Japan)
SHODOO (calligraphy)
TENGU (mountain spirit)
UKAI (cormorant fishing)
UKIYO-E (floating world pictures)
YAMATO-NADESHIKO ("a traditional woman")
YUKI-ONNA ("snow woman")
ZEN (Zen Buddhism)