Japanese Culture |
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| Cultural Glossary |
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| Religion |
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| Fun & Tests |
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- Chanoyu (a.k.a. Sadō or Chadō)
Japanese tea ceremony involving ceremonial preparations with matcha green tea.
- Fundoshi
Loincloth used by "sumo-tori".
- Fusuma
Sliding door typically made of thick paper or cloth pasted on a wooden frame and used in traditional Japanese houses as room-dividers.
- Geisha
Traditional Japanese hostess. Geisha entertain their guests with convresation, games and playing the shamisen, dancing and singing.
- Ikebana
Japanese flower arragement.
- Jigoku
Hell, as in "jigoku onsen" ("hellish hotspring"). See Beppu
- Kampō
Chinese herbal medicines (still commonly used in Japan in addition to Western medicines)
- Kimono
Traditional Japanese dress. It is a long, loose robe with wide sleeves tied with a "obi". Kimonos are worn especially for formal ceremonies, mostly by children and women.
- Maiko
Apprentice geisha. They usually dress more colourfully and with more hair ornaments than geisha.
- Minshuku
Japanese-style hostel or Bed & Breakfast.
- Momiji
Japanese maples (with smaller leaves than other maples), known for their beautiful red leaves in autumn.
- Momo
Peach, peach tree or peach blossom.
- O-furo
Japanese bath, consisting of a bath and washing space next to it, forming a separate room in itself.
- O-miai
Marriage arranged via a third party who introduces the potential partners. It is still a fairly common practice in Japan.
- O-miyage
Souvenir gifts (typically food) which Japanese are expected to give to their family or colleagues after coming back from a trip (even short).
- O-shibori
Lit. "wringed (towel)". Hot and wet towel provided in restaurants to clean one's hands (or face) from sweat before eating.
- Ryokan
Japanese-style inn, typically with tatami rooms.
- Sakura
Cherry tree or cherry blossom.
- Shōgi
East Asian version of "chess".
- Tanuki
Japanese racoon dog, famous for having enormous testicles.
- Tatami
Traditional Japanese straw mat used as floor covering. A tatami measure approximately 180cm (6 feet) by 90cm (3 feet). Japanese often count a room's area in number of tatami instead of square metre or square feet. The kanji for tatami is then read "jo". A room containing 8 tatami is called 8畳 ("atchi-jo").
- Tsubaki
Camellia. One of the most common flowers in winter in Japan.
- Ume
Japanese plum (or abricot). It looks like a big, green apricot and is used principally to make "umeshu" or "umeboshi"
- Usagi
Rabbit. One of the most loved animal in Japan. It is used as a mascot by NOVA, and many hostess bar have "bunny girls".
- Wa
Concept of harmony and team-spirit. The kanji (和) can also be read as "Yamato", meaning "Japan". It is the 'Wa' used in Wa-pedia.
- Zabuton
Flat cushion used for sitting on.
Language related terms
- Baka
Term meaning "stupid" or "idiot".
- Chan
Suffix used after a person name to show familiarity.
- Denka
Suffix used after a person name, meaning "Your Highness".
- Dono
Suffix used after a person name to show respect (more formal than "san" and "sama").
- Furigana
Hiragana used to give the phonetic reading of kanji.
- Heika
Suffix meaning "Your Majesty".
- Hiragana
Japanese phonetic script mostly used for words with no kanji or instead of kanji.
- Irasshaimase
Expression used to welcome customers into a shop or restaurant.
- Itadakimasu
Polite expression used before eating, drinking or receiving a present. Lit. means "I humbly receive".
- Kana
The two Japanese phonetic scripts (hiragana and katakana).
- Kanji
Chinese character(s) used in Japanese
- Katakana
Japanese phonetic script used mostly for writing foreign words.
- Keigo
Honorific language, used to show respect to superiors or elders when talking about them.
- Kensongo
Humble language, used to show respect to superiors or elders when talking about oneself.
- Kōhai
Term used to refer to a person who is younger or one's subordinate in the same company, school or organization. (Opposite = "sempai")
- Kun
Suffix used after a person name (usually boys or young men) to show respect.
- O-kaeri (nasai)
Greeting said to someone who comes back from outside (=> compare with "tadaima").
- Sama
Suffix used after a person name to show respect (more formal than "san").
- San
Suffix used after a person name to show respect.
- Sempai
Term used to refer to a person who is older or one's hierarchical superior in the same company, school or organization. (Opposite = "kohai")
- Sensei
Suffix used after a person name or alone with someone who possess superior knowledge or mastery of something, such as Professors, Doctors, Teachers, etc.
- Shi
Suffix used after a person name to show respect.
- Tadaima
Usual greeting said when one comes back (home, to one's office...) from outside.
Chadō (tea ceremony)
Sumō-tori wearing fundoshi in Ryogoku, Tokyo
Maiko in Gion, Kyoto
Momiji at the Tenryu-ji Temple, Kyoto
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