If you suddenly feel an urge to learn Japanese, there are some very good on-line "self-teaching" Japanese pages with multimedia and everything. My favourite is Reiko-chan's Japanese for Anime Lovers who offer some very good lessons for the beginner. If you find anything incorrect on this page, please e-mail me so I can change it.
| Word | Meaning |
| Anime | Japanese "cartoons", usually based on a manga but not always. Aims at all ages so they vary much in contents and rating. Is divided into OVAs, which are movie versions of anime and television series. Television series are also split into two categories; those which show episodes as single stories, or those with story continuity in all the episodes. |
| Baka | Common Japanse terminology, meaning "stupid" or "idiot". Never really used as a serious insult, but more on affectionate terms to friends or family. |
| Bishounen | Meaning "beautiful boy/teenager" (narcissic sorta person), and is a type of character that is becoming very popular in anime. Stereotypically quiet, extremely intelligent, polite and studious. Usually refers to teenage boys rather than adults. |
| Dojo | A martial arts training centre; can be either a kendo centre or that of other martial arts such as karate, etc. In anime a dojo is usually run by a family as part of the house but not always. |
| FanFic |
This isn't a Japanese word, but it is a word used for
stories based a favourite anime/manga written by a fan
of that anime/manga. It stands for FanFiction and are written
by FanFic writers. FacFics are usually based on the
story and characters of that particular anime/manga,
but putting the characters in a new but similar
situation (with sometimes new characters). It is
entirely the author's own fantasies. Cross-over
FanFics are popular, where the author combines two
different anime/manga together. May I note, that because there is no restriction on internet FanFiction, some of the material may offend as it is quite (ehem) explicit and graphic. |
| Hara-kiri | Method of suicide for samurai (in feudal Japan) regarded as an "honourable death". A very ritualistic suicide method which has the samurai cutting their stomach open with a dagger while another person beheads them. |
| Ishin fighters | The proper name being Ishin ShiShi, these people are samurai who fought for the dawning for a new era of government to replace the old feudal one (ie. like freedom-fighters). During the 18th Century transition of Bakufu to Meiji, the Ishin ShiShi fought against the ShinSenGumi and won. After Bakufu ended and Meiji started, much of these Ishin ShiShi became government officials. Those who did not became Ruroni, because the economic prosperity of Meiji no longer had the need for them. |
| Kabuki | Kabuki is a type of traditional theatre in Japan, where stories, usually famous myths are acted out by the actors against a backdrop. Kabuki is widely known yet cannot be said to be extremely popular, and the stagehands, sometimes called the Kuroko are often quite old. |
| Kawaii | Very useful word in Japanese, meaning in general, "cute". Used to describe teenage girls and anything the person speaking the word likes. Please take into account that "cute" is just a very general definition of the word "kawaii". |
| Kendo | Japanese sword-fighting, which is different from fencing or whatever because Kendo is a sport which involves both the spiritual and physical side of a peson. In practice, Kendo students fight when wooden swords. |
| Kunoichi | Kunoichi are female ninjas, thought whether this is an "official" Japanese term I'm not really sure. The word for "Kunoichi" comes from the combination of three words; the "ku" sound, the "no" sound and the kanji "ichi" (meaning one). Put together, the three words make the kanji word for "woman". |
| Kusanagi | The Kusanagi sword exists in one of Japan's most famous legends; about how Japan's first emperor came to be. When the outcast god Susanou defeated the evil monster Orochi, Susanou cut off all of Orochi's heads. In Orochi's tail he found a sword, which he named Kusanagi; the grass-cutting sword. This sword came to be known as one of the three sacred treasures of the Japanese imperial family; the sword, the jewel and the mirror. |
| Kushinada Hime | The Kushinada Hime exists in one of Japan's most famous legends; about how Japan's first emperor came to be. The Kushinada Hime was at first doomed to be the food of a dreaded eight-headed monster called Orochi, but was saved by the outcast god Susanou. She later became his wife and became known as the Kushinada Hime. |
| Manga | Japanese "comics"; aimed at a variety of age group with a wide range of themes. Closely associated with anime, and is considered a "serious" form of literature in Japan due to it's wide appeal. Most manga are written in the form of a very long novel and comes in volumes. |
| Manga-ka | The author/illustrator of a manga. Usually splits into two groups; the "story-maker" and the "illustrator", but multi-talented people are exceptions. Only two or three at most people work on a manga. |
| Nihontou | A Japanese sword; "Nihon" means "Japan" while "tou" means sword or knife. Japanese swords are usually slightly curved, and only the outside edge (ie. the longer edge of the blade) is used for cutting. The inside edge is blunt. |
| Oni | A type Japanese mythical "monster", which is the western equivalent of demons or bad-luck. Oni are the result of man's bad karma, and it is believed they reside in houses with constant bad-luck. At new years, a favourite tradition is to throw peas everywhere to "exorcise" the house from the oni and invite good luck and fortune in. |
| Oniwabanshuu | Though I'm not completely sure, the oniwabanshuu probably existed in history. They are the personal bodyguards of the Shogun in the Bakufu period, and are different from conventional ninjas, because they are trained in battle while other ninjas are trained for delivering messages. After the fall of the Bakufu and the shogun, the oniwabanshuu was disbanded. |
| Orochi/Yamata | Orochi exists in one of Japan's most famous legends; about how Japan's first emperor came to be. Orochi was an eight-headed monster which terrorised an old couple with 8 daughters in a valley. This monster demanded a daughter as food every year, until the outcast god Susanou decided to change that. Orochi was made drunk by Susanou and then defeated by him. |
| Otaku | Someone who is unashamedly hooked on Anime and/or Manga. Is not restricted to any particular age or cultural group; everyone is welcome to be part of this loose social circle provided you go crazy enough over the topic. |
| Ruroni | Usually known as "ronin", these are the Japanese equivalent of a vagabond or mercenary. In feudal Japan where warlords and their armies ruled, ruroni were wandering samurai who had lost their master and their honour for failing to protect who they work for. Having no one to employ them, those who did not commit suicide are left to wander Japan to be employed as mercenaries. |
| Sakaba-tou | A Japanese sword with a reversed blade. Japanese swords are slightly curved with the sharp edge on the longer side of the sword while the blunt edge is on the shorter side. A sakaba-tou has the sharp edge inverted, and so cannot harm anybody unless it is done so deliberately with the inside edge. |
| Seikikoku | A group made up of ordinary civilians which worked for the Meiji government in the Bakufu civil war. To promote the Meiji politicians, they were ordered to tell farmers that the price of grain will rise by 50% under the Meiji government. It was a promise the Meiji government could not keep when the Bakufu regime collapsed, and so to save face the Meiji politicians branded the Seikikoku "fake" government officials. Because of this, the Seikikoku was disbanded and many of their members were executed. |
| Seiyuu | Japanese voice-actors, and is regarded as a fairly prestigious profession as it requires the actors to act and sing as well. Famous seiyuu earn alot not only through voice-acting, but through CD singles and promotional campaigns such as books, magazines and voice-acting in video games. |
| ShinSenGumi | Possibly the largest organisation of swordsmen in Japanese history, the ShinSenGumi were fearless samurai who were prepared to defend the Bakufu government to the very last. They were highly-skilled, and were the bitter enemies of the Ishin fighters. The ShinSenGumi lost the war in Kyoto VS the Ishin fighters; they didn't get to fight properly because the Shogun surrendered. When the ShinSenGumi was disbanded, many of them were offered government positions and jobs. |
| Shinto | Shintoism is a religion unique to Japan, which is a form of nature worship. Shinto shrines are often in places of great natural beauty, because it is said that certain trees and rocks has nature spirits in them. Shinto is a very popular religion in Japan, and there is often a lot of its symbolism in manga/anime. In manga/anime, the red arches leading to temples, ropes with white squares hanging from them, stone statues of foxes and bandicootss, people wearing clothes with a white top and red trousers are all indications of Shintoism. |
| Shogun | In feudal Japan, namely the Bakufu period, the Shogun was the largest warlord and consequently the imperial General who protected the royal family. The Shogun was the power behind the throne, wielding secretly even more power than the emperor. The whole system was replaced when Bakufu fell to the new Meiji period. |
| Susanou | Susanou exists in one of Japan's most famous legends; about how Japan's first emperor came to be. The outcast god who came down from heaven (though I don't know for what reason :-P) to a valley where he found an old man and woman weeping. He finds that because a monster called Orochi is terrorizing them, they have lost 7 daughters in the past 7 years as sacrafices to the monster. This year, their last daughter is to be sacrificed. Susanou decides to save her, and by making the monster drunk with wine (or sake) he manages to cut off all it's heads. Susanou later marries the girl he saves, later known as the Kushinada Hime. |
| Tanugi | Bandicoots, which are of the same equivalent of Youkos in Japanese myths. Tanugis are able to shape-shift and cause illusions, and are often the subject of Japanese mythical stories. |
| Yakuza | Japanese equivalent of the mafia, and holds extreme influence in Japanese society as the Yakuza is not illegal in Japan. The Yakuza has existed for centuries under a different name, though I don't really know what that was... |
| Yaminobu | The equivalent of the Oniwabanshuu, but are from a different part of Japan. They too are ninjas and worked for the Bakufu government, but are involved more in delivering messages, acting as spies and the such rather than functioning as bodyguards. |
| Yaoi | Ahem...since the emergence of bishounen, there also emerged a homosexual issue between them on the internet. It seems not only to be confined to a certain country or culture, and exists primarily in FanFics. If you have a weak heart (like me) or is offended by this material, stay away from certain FanFics because the descriptions are often quite (ehem) vivid and graphic (cough!). I have no idea why this type of (err...) mind frame has emerged, but if you aren't going to be offended by it, you can read them on FanFic sites or some anime/manga sites (this site doesn't have any). YuYuHakusho sites has scores of them. (cough! cough! cough!) |
| Yasa-otoko | "Yasa" means gentle and "otoko" means man. Not often used as anime/manga terminology, but it means a "feminine-looking man". Closely associated with bishounen but more often refers to adults. |
| Youko | A Japanese mythical "monster", the cunning demon fox. These can be said to be both sacred animals or trickers, usually the latter. Youkos are believed to be hundreds of years old, extremely intelligent and often has 9 tails. They can shape-shift and cause illusions, and is of the same league of Tanugis. |
| Yukina/Kourime | A Japanese mythical snow monster, the dreaded "snow woman". These monsters are supposed to be warmth- sucking creatures that appear to tired travellers in areas of heavy snow, and drain them of their life energy until there is none left. There are many unpleasant stories about snow women, but in anime/manga their role appears to be fairly benign. |
| Zambatou | A type of weapon used during the Bakufu period against cavalry, resembling a giant spear with an unusually large and long blade. Being very heavy and difficult to use, it requires two people to be able to wield it. It was primarily used to attack and cut down horses so their riders would be thrown off. |
