HISTORY
History



History

     



Bakamatsu The beginning of the Meiji era. It was a turbulent times when those loyal to the shogun clashed against those loyal to the emperor. Those loyal to the emperor wanted a return of power to the emperor mainly due to a difference in ideals in regards on how to deal with the foreign invaders who have forced open the borders of Japan. In the end, the power of the shogunate was broken, but they may have gotten the last laugh anyway since the ideals of those loyal to the emperor changed so radically during that time of civil war that in the end, they were more like what the ideals of the shogunate supporters had to begin with.


Benkei


Manyoshu Oldest collection of Japanese poems that is preserved in written form. the collection itself uses Chinese characters.


Miyamoto Musashi Author of the Five Rings. Musashi decided that the sword is better used with one on each hand and founded the school of two handed sword technique.


Oda Nobunaga


The Shinsengumi


Tokugawa


Toyotomi


Yagyu Jubei


Yagyu Munenori Founder of the Yagyu clan.


The Yamamoto A super battleship made during WWII. It was sacrificed and sunk during it's maiden voyage.



Words

In this section, Karmie-chan and I are going to put a list of Japanese words and/or terms we believe every fan needs to know to ones that are just interesting in our opinion
     



Ai Love. The meaning is more akin to romantic love or deep love.


Aho Kind a like "baka," but with an added suggestion of mental retardation.


Anime Generally refers to Japanese animation, but also included are anything that is animated, including non-Japanese ones.


Atashi I. More femine version of watashi. Used by women only.


Baka Probably the most recognizable word that anyone will ever come across with while enjoying their anime. It can range from idiot to jerk, to asshole depending on how it is said.


Boku I. A more masculine form of watashi. Used generally by men and boys. Girls wills ometimes use it as well, but they are seen as more boyish or as tomboys.


Echi A less stronger word for of pervert.


Geisha NOT hookers. Most foreigners associate geishas as hookers due to US soldiers in Japan post WWII. Geishas sells flatery and the arts. If you want to know if that is a Yokata (hookers) or Geisha, Geishas tie the ribbon on their sash on the back as opposed to the front.


Haha Mother. More respectable than okaasan.


Hentai Pervert.


Itadakimasu Something that is said just before eating. The closest translation would be thanks for the food, but is much more than that. It usually means to thank everyone that has been involved in getting that food to you.


Kohai Underclassman, junior. Refers to someone you have seniority over. Can be from school, club, work.


Koi Love. The meaning is more akin to the first feelings of love.


Kokoro Heart. Depending on how it is used, it can mean heart, breast, soul, or mind. Actually, it's overall meaning is much closest to spirit in English than anything else.


Manga Generally refers to Japanese comics, but actually means all kinds of comics, non-Japanese included.


Mecha Describes robots in general, but also includes any type of machines.


Moe The interest of people with animeation/images of cute young girls before the age of 13. A rather big business in Japan with most fans of it at around 10.


Obaasan Grandmother. Can be used to refer to a woman much, much older than the speaker who is not related.


Obasan Aunt. Can be used to refer to a woman much older than the speaker who is not related.


Ojiisan Grandfather. Can be used to refer to a man much, much older than the speaker who is not related.


Ojisan Uncle. Can be used to refer to a man mcuh older than the speaker who is not related.


Okaasan Mother. Can be kaasan, kaachan, okaachan, kaasama, okaasama. Haha is the more respectable form.


Oneesan Big sister. Can also be used to refer to a female older than the speaker who is not related. Other ways of saying it includes neesan, oneechan, neechan, oneesama, neesama.


Oniisan Big brother. Also used to refer to a male older than the speaker who is not related. Can also be niisan, oniichan, niichan, oniisama, niisama


Otaku Literally means house in Japanese. In our world, it means a fan. There differences between American and Japanese otakus though.


Otousan Father. Other ways of saying it are tousan, otouchan, touchan, tousama, otousama. Chichi is the more respectable form.


Samishen A Japanese string instrument. Kind of like a lute.


Sempai/Senpai Upperclassman, senior. Means someone who has seniority over you from school, to clubs, to work.


Shihan Master or instructor at a school or dojo.


Shinobi

Shihan-dai Someone who is a student that can also teach in lue of the master not teaching himself.
Ninja.


Shishio Master.


Shonen It mean "young boy" and is generally meant to apply to stories aimed at such readers. Adding "bi" in front transforms it to mean "beautiful young boy.


Shoujo It means "young girl" and is generally meant to apply to stories aimed at such readers. Adding "bi" in front of it changes it to mean "beautiful young girl."


Watashi I.


Yaoi


Yokata Light cotton robe worn usually during the summer, or festival (which is mostly in the summer, so yeah, summer)


Yuri


~chan Cute and informal form of -san.


~chin A cute and informal version of -san used by girls.


~dono The most formal form of -san.


~han Same as -san. A Kansai version of it.


~sama A more formal version and respectful version of -san.


~san Mister or miss or missis. Added to names. To call someone with just their names and no honorific is very informal and only done if the speaker and the one being spoken to are very close.


~tan A cute and informal version of -san used by girls.


~yan Same as -san. A Kansai version of it.


Red string of fate The red string of fate is supposedly tied to your pinky finger and the other end is tied to the pinky of the person(opposite sex) who is fated to be your other half. If they say that they are tied together by the red string of fate, they mean that they were meant to be together. If they say that your red string of fate has been severed, it means that you are shit out of luck and there is no one for you.


Sneezing When you sneeze, it means that someone is talking about you. Similar to the western concept of burning ears. Sneezing three times means that they are talking bad about you.


4 Four is an unlucky number. An equivalent to our 13. Four is pronounced either as "shi" or "yon". The "shi" pronounciation is the primary reason for it. "Shi" can also mean "death."


8 8 is a lucky number due to the the way that the kanji for 8 is written. It looks like two vertical sticks getting closer to each other as they go higher. This means lucky because, as things progress, luck becomes more concentrated.


108 108 is a lucky number in Buddhism. Their prayer beads have 108 beads and the bell at Buddhist temples are rung 108 times before the sun rises on the new year.


Bota Pig.


Inu Dog.


Hebi Snake


Ika Squid.


Kuma Bear.


Kumo Spider.


Neko Cat


Nezumi Mouse.


Sakana Fish.


Sake Salmon.


Saru Monkey.


Tako Octopus.


Tora Tiger.


Tori Bird.


Uma Cow.


Unagi Fresh water eel.


Ushi Cow.



Food

In this section, Karmie-chan and I are going to put a list of Japanese food stuff and a brief description of what they are. Perhaps with our help, you'll soon realize that the "donuts" that Sailormoon eats aren't really donuts at all!
     



Anpan A bread with a red bean paste filling. Azuma makes his version of this bread in episode __ or Yakitate Japan!.


Bento Literally a lunch box. If you order a bento box at a restaurant, you will get t eh complete meal in several compartments in the same box.


Broiled Eel Broiled eel is usally eaten during the hot days of the summer. It is believed that they give you stamina to be able to stand up to the heat. Quite delicious and one of Sir Bon's faves.


Katsudon Fried pork cutlets on top of rice with sauce.


Melonpan A melon bread. It has two layers on it. One is the bread part and the other is the cookie topping. Azuma makes his version of this bread in episode __ or Yakitate Japan!.


Miso Soup There are several varieties of Miso soup, but the most common one has to be white miso soup.


Mochi A sweet made from rice that have been mashed. Usually a tradition for the new year for the family to make mochi together.


Natto Fermented beans. Usually eaten in the morning with rice and miso soup. Very, very sticky. Kiyone spills this all over herself and Mihoshi in Pretty Sammy.


Okonomiyaki The closest thing that can be used to describe it would be as a mix between pancake and pizza. It can have a variety of meats and vegetable as the ingredients in it. Ukyo from Ranma 1/2 specializes in making these.


Onigiri Rice balls. They usually have seaweed paper to hold on to and can have a variety of fillings inside. The most common one fillings are usually tuna or salmon. Tohru Honda from Fruits Basket believes that her life has revolved around the concept of onigiri.


Pizza A lot of Japanese pizza toppings would be considered strange here in America. Some examples are


Pocky Chocolate covered pretzel sticks. There are other coatings other than chocolate as well, but chocolate is the most common one. Mizuho-sensei from Onegai Teacher is highly addicted to them.


Ramune Lemon(usually) flavored soda. You can tell it's ramune because it has a marble stopper that you have to pop in to drink the contents. Sashi and Arumi are found drinking them in the first episode of Abenobashi.


Sake Sake is rice wine, but can also mean alcohol in general.


Sashimi


Shrimp Chips shrimp flavored chips. There are also the squid flavored kinds.


Soumen A noodle that is eaten cold during the summer. Kouta, Yuka, Mayu, and Nana from Elfen Liedeats this at the end of the series.


Sukiyaki A hotpot with the ingredients served on the side raw. Ingredients includes thin strips of beef, leeks, eggs, etc. You place the ingredients in the pot and eat it as it cooks there. Yotsuga Kazuki, Sanda Mitsuki and Professor Sanada had this for dinner in the fifth episode of Dual.


Sushi


Taiyaki A fried bread shaped like a fish and filled with bean paste jam. Ayu from Kanon loves these so much that she keeps stealing them from the shop owner.


Takoyaki Squid filled balls. Quite yummy.


Tempura Also Tenpura. They are deep fried seafood or vegetables covered in batter. they come with a light sauce.


Umeboshi Pickled dried plum. There are several varieties, but they are usually rather sour. The Princess in Shiratori's stories as well as the Kozue, the landlady, from Mahoraba loves these.


Yakisoba Fried noodles.


Yakisobapan A sandwich made with Yakisoba filling. Azuma makes his version of this bread in episode __ or Yakitate Japan!.


Yakitori Looks like shish kebobs, but no vegetable. Usually served on carts, the more friend syou have with you, the cheaper it is.



Myths/Legends

     



Amaterasu The sun goddess. Amaterasu supposedly locked herself in a cave behind a huge boulder that no one can move. With her gone, the world was plunged into darkness. She was lured out of her cave by the drunken reverly of the other gods and goddess trying to bring the sun back into the world. Examples of mentions of Amaterasu in animes/mangas includes Gokudo, Martian Successor Nadesico the Movie: Prince of Darkness


Cherry Trees Some say that the cherry trees bloom a magnificent hue of crimson because dead bodies were buried underneath them and the flower petals have turned crimson from absorbing the blood.


Cho Hakai A character from the mythical Journey to the West. He accompanies the monk Sanzo and Son Goku. He is said to have a fire breath.


Dogs According to legend, the dogs are the natural enemies of monkeys. You see this conflict in episode 23 of Fruits Basket and in the Three Sprites of the Monkey God episode of Inuyasha.


Foxes A fox in Japanese lore can either be good or evil. It can be very helpful, or very mischevious. Like the tanuki, foxes can also change shapes at will. A fox can live for a very long time and after a hundred years of living, the fox grows another tail. It can grow up to nine tails. A nine-tailed fox, also known as a thousand year fox, is of course, the most powerful of foxes after having gained so much strength over such a long period of time. Examples of the fox in animes/mangas includes Naruto, Kanon and Inuyasha.


Heavenly Maiden Also known as Tenyo. They will come down to earth to take a bath (usually). They wear heavenly robes and if they lose it, they can't get back into the heavens.


Heavenly Robes Also known as Hageromono. The robes worn by Heavenly Maidens. They will take these off when they take a bath and there are several legends in which normal men have gotten Heavenly Maidens to be their wives by stealing their robes. Ones they recover their robes though, they return back into the heavens.


Journey to the West The mythical journey of the monk Sanzo based on the real historical monk named Sanzo to retrieve buddhist scrolls in India. According to the legend he is accompanied by the Monkey King Goku and Cho-Hakai the pig. This story is the basis for Saiyuki and the Monkey Performance at the Seaside Teahouse Hinata: A Kiss? episode of Love Hina.


Kami Gods or spirits. This concept is different from the western ones. In Japanese concepts, kami resides in everything that surrounds us.


The Kusanagi The Grass cutting sword. Used by Susano-Oh to defeat the Orochimaru, it is Japan's equivalent to the Excalibur.


Lucky Cats There are many legends concerning the lucky cat. The most common one that I know of though is of this one. One day, a man was caught in the rain. Seeking shelter from it, he stopped underneath a rather large tree. When he was resting there, he saw a cat smiling at him and waving for him to come towards it. Curious about the cat, the man did so and the moment he walked towards the cat, the tree he was taking shelter underneath was struck by lightning. From that day on, there are statues of lucky cats that are smiling and waving at people to come to them.


Momotaro The Peach Boy.


Monkeys According to legend, the monkeys are the natural enemies of dogs. You see this conflict played out in episode 23 of Fruits Basket and in the Three Sprites of the Monkey God episode of Inuyasha.


The Old Man and the Cherry Trees It's a story of an old man who caused the cherry trees to bloom by scattering the ashes of the bones of his beloved dog.


Oni Oni are Japanese demons. They are usually painted as having red or blue skin, have horns on their heads, wear tiger striped clothing, and weilds a club. There is a legend that states when it is raining, and it thunders, the onis comes out and descends from the clouds to steal away the belly buttons of naughty children.


Orochimaru


Paper Cranes It is said that if you make a thousand paper cranes, your wish will come true. Usually done by the sick wishing for good health.


Princeess Kaguya Also known as the Moon Princess.


Seahorses and Dragons It is said that if a seahorse lives long enough, it grows up to become a dragon.


Snow Women Snow women are supposed to cause snowstorms when they shed tears. Waiting for loved ones that will never return from war, the tears of a snow woman can freeze the country side.


Son Goku A character in the mythical story Journey to the West. Goku is the monkey king who was extremely violent and in order for him to be controled, a circlet was placed on his forehead to limit his strength give him punishment whenever he missbehaived. He also carries a staff weaopn that elongates and the Kin'tonen, a cloud he can ride on. He is the basis for Goku of Dragonball, Dragonball Z, Dragonball GT, and the series Monley Magic.


Star Festival


Susano-Oh


Tametebako A box that was given to Urashima Taro by the dragon princess.


Tanukis Also known as racoon dogs. They are shapeshifters and are often portrayed as miscehvious creatures. They often steal sake by buying them from merchant. When they have left of course, the money they used turns back into ordinary leaves. When in danger, they can turn into stone. Tanuki statues are litered all through out. They would be the giant brown statues seen with giant balls. They also sometimes have hats, mallets, and sake bottles.


Tengus There are actually several varieties of tengus. Of them, there are four main varieties.


Urashima Taro Urashima Taro once saved a turtle on the beach that was being picked on. As a reward, the turtle allowed him to ride on its back to the Dragon Palace where he spent his time having fun. When he started missing his home, the princess gave him a box called the "tametebako" and told him never to open it. Returning to his village, he had realized that a hundred years had already passed, and saddened by the loss of his firends, forgot the princess' warning and opened the box. The instant he does, he ages quickly and becomes how old he really is.