| arigatō gozaimasu |
thank you very much |
| atake-bune |
large Japanese naval warship |
| bō |
wooden fighting staff |
| bonnō |
the 108 worldly desires that Buddhists believe all humans are afflicted with |
| bushido |
the Way of the Warrior – the samurai code |
| chō-geri |
butterfly kick |
| daejon |
(Korean) large rocket-like arrows tipped with iron and leather flights |
| daimyo |
feudal lord |
| daishō |
the pair of swords, wakizashi and katana, that are traditional weapons of the samurai |
| Dim Mak |
Death Touch |
| doku |
poison |
| dōshin |
Edo-period police officers of samurai origin (low rank) |
| endan |
ninja smoke bombs |
| fugu |
blowfish or puffer fish |
| Fuma |
Wind Demons |
| gaijin |
foreigner, outsider (derogatory term) |
| geisha |
a Japanese girl trained to entertain men with conversation, dance and song |
| haiku |
Japanese short poem |
| hamon |
artistic pattern created on a samurai sword blade during tempering process |
| hashi |
chopsticks |
| horagai |
conch-shell trumpet |
| horoku |
a spherical bomb thrown by hand using a short rope |
| itadakimasu |
let’s eat! |
| kagemusha |
a Shadow Warrior |
| kamikaze |
lit. ‘divine wind’, or ‘Wind of the Gods’ |
| kanji |
Chinese characters that are used also by the Japanese |
| katana |
long sword |
| ki |
energy flow or life force (Chinese: chi) |
| kiai |
literally ‘concentrated spirit’ – used in martial arts as a shout for focusing energy when executing a technique |
| kimono |
traditional Japanese clothing |
| kissaki |
tip of sword |
| koban |
Japanese oval gold coin |
| kobaya |
small Japanese naval boat |
| Koketsu |
Jaws of Death (or Tiger’s Den, or dangerous place) |
| komusō |
Monk of Emptiness |
| kuji-in |
nine syllable seals – a specialized form of Buddhist and ninja meditation |
| kumode |
spiked ‘bear paw’ on a stout pole used as a grappling iron and weapon |
| metsubishi |
blinding powder, a ninja weapon |
| metsuke |
technique of ‘looking at a faraway mountain’ |
| Mizujiro |
‘castle in the sea’ |
| mochi |
rice cake |
| mon |
family crest |
| mushin |
a warrior’s state of ‘no mind’ |
| naginata |
a long pole weapon with a curved blade on the end |
| Namu Daishi |
This is the mantra of Kobo Daishi, |
| Henjo Kongo |
which translates as ‘Homage to the Saviour Daishi, the Illuminating and Imperishable One!’ |
| nenju |
Buddhist rosary beads |
| Nihon Maru |
Japanese naval flagship |
| ninja |
Japanese assassin |
| ninjatō |
ninja sword |
| ninjutsu |
the Art of Stealth |
| ninniku |
the philosophy of the ninja, ‘cultivating a pure and compassionate heart’ |
| Niten Ichi Ryū |
the ‘One School of Two Heavens’ |
| nōkyōchō |
temple stamp book |
| obi |
belt |
| ofuro |
bath |
| omamori |
Buddhist amulet to grant protection |
| osame-fuda |
paper prayer slips |
| o-settai |
the action of giving of food and money to pilgrims |
| ronin |
masterless samurai |
| sai |
a pointed, dagger-shaped metal truncheon, with two curved prongs called yoku projecting from the handle |
| saké |
rice wine |
| sakura |
cherry-blossom tree |
| Samsara |
the Buddhist concept of a ‘world of suffering’ |
| samurai |
Japanese warrior |
| sashimi |
raw fish |
| saya |
scabbard |
| seki-bune |
medium-sized Japanese naval warship |
| sensei |
teacher |
| Sha |
ninja hand sign, interpreted as healing for ninjutsu purposes |
| shachihoko |
an animal in Japanese folklore with the head of a dragon and the body of a carp |
| shakujō |
Buddhist ringed staff used primarily in prayer, and as a weapon |
| Shichi Hō De |
‘the seven ways of going’, the art of disguise and impersonation |
| shinobi shozoku |
the clothing of a ninja |
| Shogun |
the military dictator of Japan |
| shoji |
Japanese sliding door |
| shuinsen |
Red Seal ship |
| shuko |
climbing claws |
| shuriken |
metal throwing stars |
| sohei |
warrior monks |
| suigun |
‘water army’ |
| sumimasen |
excuse me; my apologies |
| sūtra |
a Buddhist scripture |
| taijutsu |
the Art of the Body (hand-to-hand combat) |
| tantō |
short knife |
| Taryu-Jiai |
interschool martial arts competition |
| tatami |
floor matting |
| tessen |
iron fan |
| torii |
a distinctive Japanese gate found at the entrance to Shinto shrines |
| wagesa |
a stole, a strip of cloth worn by monks and priests |
| wakizashi |
side-arm short sword |
| wako |
Japanese pirates |
| yuloh |
a large, heavy sculling oar used in the Far East |