Click on terms for additional information and images, where applicable.
A
- Aircon - (�G�A�R��)
- An air conditioner. Often mounted on the wall, these units can be used to both heater and cool a space. Does the trick, but will raise your electric bills considerably.
B
- Buchō - (����)
- Department chief.
- Bunraku - (���y)
- Traditional Japanese puppet theater.
C
- Cosmos - (�R�X���X)
- Cosmos are flowers that bloom in the autumn. They come in a wide range of colors, but white, pink, and red are the most common.
E
- Enkai - (����)
- A dinner party often involving copious amounts of alcohol. The most common office enkai are held:
- when new employees enter the company (kangeikai - ���}��) or leave the company (sōbetsukai - ���ʉ�)
- if a large project has just been completed (otsukarekai - ������ or irōkai - �ԘJ��)
- at the end of the year (bōnenkai - �Y�N��) or the beginning of the new year (shinnenkai - �V�N��)
F
- Fusuma - (��)
- A papered sliding door used to partition rooms within a house. Often painted with beautiful landscapes or other natural imagery. Unlike shōji, fusuma are opaque.
G
- Gaijin - (�O�l)
- An abbreviation of gaikokujin (�O���l) - "foreigner" - this word is used to draw a thick line between the Japanese and everyone else (gaijin literally meaning "outside person"). Whether it is intrinsically racist and offensive, or the simply along the same lines as calling a British person a Brit, the true meaning of gaijin has been bitterly argued time and time again.
- Geisha - (�|��)
- The characters for geisha mean "a person of art". Often thought of as little more than fancy prostitutes, Geisha have long been misunderstood in the west. While geisha were involved in the sex trade long ago, a geisha's true profession is that of an artist and entertainer trained in classical Japanese dance and music. Thanks in part to geisha, many classical and traditional Japanese arts have been perserved.
- Gokkun - (�������)
- Gokkun is a beverage produced in Umaji-mura made from yuzu juice and honey. The word "gokkun" refers to how you're supposed to drink Gokkun - all at once. It's the onomatopoetic sound and the feeling of guzzling down a refreshing and delicious citrus beverage. I honestly can't reccomend it enough, though you'll be hard pressed to find it anywhere outside of Japan. You can order it online though.
H
- Hanko - (���q)
- A personal seal used instead of a signature. Important for business transactions, opening bank accounts, buying a car, etc.
- (O)hashi - (����)
- Chopsticks. See also: inane questions you will be asked every day (ie: "Can you use hashi?")
- Hostess club - (�z�X�e�X��y��)
- A bar you can go to where overly madeup women will tell you how great you are as long as you continue to buy all sorts of over priced drinks ($20 for a small beer for example). Don't get confused though, they will never sleep with you; they're just doing their job.
J
- Janken - (�W�����P��)
- A way of life for the Japanese. Basically, janken is rock paper scissors, but it has become an important part of Japanese life. Janken can be played simply for the sake of it, as the way to determine who goes first for other games, in order to make decisions, in place of bingo at raffles, etc. There are numerous variations, and the Japanese are trained from birth to be able to play it in big groups as opposed to one on one. It is also a great way to kill time in the class room.
- Jichō - (����)
- Literally - 'next boss'. In general jichou is translated as 'deputy department chief', but this can vary depending on placement. (In a board of education, jichou is translated as 'deputy superintendent of education')
- Jinsai - (�_��)
- Jinsai are local Shintō festivals with their origins going back to harvest festivals. Jinsai vary from area to area, but they usually involve a lot of eating and drinking, the carrying of a mikoshi, and traditional music and dance performances at the local shrine.
K
- Kachō - (�ے�)
- Division chief.
- Kakarichō - (�W��)
- Section chief.
- Kei car - (�y�J�[)
- Small cars perfect for cramped Japanese city life. Their engines are smaller than normal cars (usually with motors of no more than half a litre), but what they lack in power they more than make up for by being inexpensive to run and incredibly convenient.
- Kimchi - (�L���`)
- Delicious Korean kimchi - spicy pickled vegetables. Oh so spicy. Oh so nice.
- Konbini - (�R���r�j)
- Japanese konbini - or convenience stores - go above and beyond when it comes to convenience. You can do the expected such as buy food and drinks, magazines, and basic household goods, but that's not all. You can also pay your bills, buy bus, train, ferry, and plane tickets, as well as popular video games and DVDs. And the girls who work there are usually pretty cute too.
- Kotatsu - (���)
- A table with a heater built in underneath. The kotatsu is one of the main - and favored - ways of keeping warm during the Japanese winter. The table is covered with a blanket to trap the heat, warming your legs and any other body parts you stick underneath. The downside is that you will not want to move from the kotatsu for anything in fear of the cold waiting in the rest of your home.
- Kyōikuchō - (���璷)
- Superintendent of Education.
- Kyōikuiinkai - (����ψ��)
- Board of Education.
M
- Mama-san - (�}�}����)
- The owner of a snack or a hostess club. Usually a woman in her 30's or 40's and tough as nails, though she'll act sweet as long as you continue to buy drinks.
- Matsuri - (�Ղ�)
- One of the best parts of Japan is the abundance of matsuri - festivals. Many festivals are rooted in Shitoism and local folk beliefs, and are an important part of a region's traditions. A popular time for festivals is during the hottest time of the summer, and again in the autumn or early winter as a harvest celebration. Festivals involve lots of eating and drinking. Especially drinking. Drinking a lot. Probably more than is healthy. Inspite of this (or perhaps because of this) festivals are not to be missed.
- Mikoshi - (�_�`)
- Mikoshi stay in their shrines for most of the year, but during Shintō festivals, these portable shrines are carried around town by the local young men. As it was explained to me, local gods like to get out and travel around the area where they live, and the mikoshi is like a car for the gods. The young men who carry the mikoshi will first participate in a Shintō purification ceremony, and then drink a lot to prepare themselves for carrying the mikoshi around town. At certain places they stop to rock and shake the mikoshi violently, leading to many bruised shoulders and tired legs. Afterwards, the mikoshi is set on portable legs, and people crawl under it for continued health and good luck in the coming year while the young men take a break and have more to drink.
- (O)mochi - (����)
- Rice cakes made from steamed rice high in glutin. Traditionally the rice is pounded in a large wooden mortar (usu - �P) with a wooden mallet or pestle (kine - �n). Mochi is eaten year round, but makes its main appearance at festivals, especially during New Year celebrations.
- Momiji - (�g�t)
- Autumn foliage in shades of reds and yellows.
N
- Nattō - (�[��)
- Nattō is defined as "fermented soybeans", but it's actually closer to the Devil's own snot. However, all Japanese are convinced that foreigners cannot eat nattō, so do your part to dispell this silly stereotype by shoveling down a bowl of this sticky, stringy, and especially stinky dish the next time you go out to eat. You might want to practice at home first. When mixed with rice, nattō is almost eatable.
- Nori - (�C��)
- Dried and salted sheets of seaweed. Used for making onigiri, or good on its own. The Korean variety is quite nice as well.
O
- Omiyage - (���y�Y)
- Omiyage are kind of like souvenirs you bring back from vacation, except that they're required by social custom. Whether you travel for personal or business reasons, you are expected to bring something back for your officemates. Usually the local specialty - often snacks like cookies or sembei - will be perfect. However, other times grander gifts are expected. It's sort of like an apology to all the people who didn't get to go.
- Onigiri - (������)
- The word "onigiri" roughly means "to grasp with your hands". Onigiri is made by taking freshly steamed rice and shaping it into a ball or triangle with your hands. As you pack the rice, a firm outer layer id formed to keep the onigiri from falling apart. Often something is added to the middle, such as a little piece of fish, or an umeboshi, and then the onigiri is wrapped in nori.
- Onsen - (����)
- A natural (or not so natural) hot spring. Onsen are probably the most popular destination for Japanese to visit when they travel domestically. Often there are a variety of baths with various mineral compositions, each boasting some kind of healing power. Whether they make you healthier or not, soaking in a steaming hot bath is never a bad thing. It should be noted though that onsen are not for the prudish or timid, as everyone bathes nude. Men and women do have separate baths of course.
S
- (O)sake - (����)
- Also called nihonshu (��{��) literally: Japanese alcohol. Traditionally the most popular alcoholic drink in Japan, nowadays it falls behind beer, especially with the younger generation. Much like wine, there are sweet and dry varieties, and a wide range of flavors that vary from region to region. Sake is still very important in many Shinto celebrations, and often used as gifts and prizes.
- Shinkansen - (�V����)
- Also known as the bullet train, the sinkansen is the fastest way to travel by land in Japan. The shinkansen travels at speeds up to 300km/h, covering the 515km from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka in about 3 hours including stops. That's not too shabby.
- Shōchū - (�Ē�)
- Shōchū is a distilled liquor that is made from wheat, rice, corn, and even sweet potatoes. A favorite drink of middle-aged and elderly men, it's usually no more than 30-40%, and is often drank mixed with cold or hot water, or fruit juices - popular with the ladies. I reccomend mixing shōchū with Gokkun.
- Shōji - (��q)
- A sliding door or window screen made from a wooden frame covered in Japanese paper. Unlike fusuma, shōji are papered with translucent Japanese paper to allow light in.
- Snack - (�X�i�b�N)
- Similar to a hostess club, but a bit less up-scale. Snacks often have karaoke as well as the requisite young women who will sit and chat with you while pouring your drinks. Like hostesses, they're just doing a job. Many foreigners are offended by the overpriced drinks and empty flattery, but for some reason the Japanese (especiall older men) love it.
T
- Tatami - (��)
- No Japanese house is complete without at least one tatami room. Tatami are mats made from straw and covered in rushes, usually measuring 90 x 180cm (about 3' x 6'). Shoes are not allowed on tatami floors, and stepping on tatami in the sight of a Japanese person is a great way to reinforce the ignorant barbarian stereotype.
U
- Umeboshi - (�~����)
- Umeboshi are pickled plums, usually eaten with steamed white rice. Incredibly salty and sour, many non-Japanese find them difficult to eat at first, but the taste does grow on you after a while. Eating umeboshi is also rumored to have various health benefits such as helping you to recover from fatigue, and purifying your blood.
W
- White plate
- A way to refer to normal passenger cars as they have white license plates, as opposed to kei-cars which have yellow license plates.
Y
- Yellow plate
- Another way to refer to kei-cars.
- Yuzu - (�M�q)
- Also known as the Japanese citron, yuzu is a citrus fruit found in Japan. Delicious when added to grilled fish and other dishes, yuzu is especially good when turned into soy sauce or even better, Gokkun. It mixes awfully well with shōchū too.
Glossary