The Miko - 02 (89 page)

ichomage
—the traditional intricate coiffure of the grand champion, or
yokozuna sumo.

Ikagadesuka
—the equivalent of “Hello, how are you?”

ikebana
—the art of flower arranging.

irimi
—exercise variations of
jo-waza
, stave
aikido.

Iss-hogai
—literally, “for life”; the name of a
katana.

iteki—a
barbarian; a derogatory term devoid of all respect.

jaho
—magic.

janomegasa
—a rice-paper umbrella.

Jinno Shotoki
—one of the great books of teaching in the Shinto religion. It was written in 1339 by Chikafusa Kitabatake.

jit suryoko
—superhuman powers. See
akuma.

jitsu
—fullness, as in breathing.

jo-waza
—the martial art of stave
aikido.

jonin
—leader of a
ninja
school or clan.

joss
—Chinese term used variously for luck, destiny; akin to
karma.

joss stick
—incense.

juka
—the organ meridian on the human body just beneath each ear. See
kyukon.

juku—
an elite private study group to aid Japan’s best students.

junsuisei
—the purity of resolve.

k’ai ho
—Mandarin ideogram meaning, variously, a gap, an opportunity to be seized; spies. A term used by Sun Tzu in his
Art of War.

kabuki
—a form of highly stylized Japanese theater employing masked actors.

kamae
—one of a number of opening stances in spike and chain combat. See
manrikigusari.

kami
—a spirit, ancestral or otherwise.

kamikaze
—literally, “divine wind.” Self-destruction in war for the good of the Emperor.

kamiza
—the upper seat of the
aikido
practice mat. The place of honor reserved for the
sensei.

kamuro
—a serving girl to
geisha.

kan
—a status of power bestowed upon the bureaucrat by Imperial appointment. Originally from the Mandarin, meaning the home of the man presiding over a city.

Kan-aku na ninjutsu
—literally, “black
ninjutsu.
” Invariably used for evil, the most virulent sub-discipline of which is
Kuji-kiri.

kanji
—the written Japanese language.

kanryodo
—the Way of the samurai-bureaucrat; a modern martial art purely of the mind.

kanzashi
—traditional long hairpins, usually made of carved wood, ivory, or tortoiseshell; usually part of a set. See
kushi.

karma
—one’s destiny.

karyukai
—literally, “the flower and willow world.” See
Yoshi-wara.

katakana
—adjunct syllabary in the Japanese language used to introduce colloquialisms and words of foreign origin. See
hiragana.

katana
—the
samurai
’s longsword.

kataribe
—professional language memorizers used before the beginning of the Japanese written language (prior to the fifth century A.D.).

katsu
—a form of deep resuscitation.

keibatsu
—the bond created by blood or marriage into a family.

keiretsu
—an industrial conglomerate of companies.

Kempeitai
—in the present, the military police; during World War II, the secret police.

ken
—the standard six-foot unit of house construction.

kendo
—the art of the sword from an educational point of view; viz. technique is translated as
do
, meaning a spiritual path. See
kenjutsu.

kenjutsu
—the art (
jutsu
) of the sword (
ken
) in a combative, practical sense. See
kendo.

ki
—inner energy required for any of the martial arts.

kiai
—a shout to startle and frighten an enemy.

kimono
—a traditional robe, usually of silk or cotton, worn by both men and women.

kin-yu keiretsu
—financial linkages. The basis of
keiretsu.

kite
—one of a number of vicious percussive blows using either the edge of the hand or the tips of the fingers in concert.

Kobudera
—a form of evil magic employed by the
Kuji-kiri.

kobun
—a company; part of a
keiretsu.

Kodomo-gunjin
—literally, “little soldier.” A name as an endearment.

kogen
—the Japanese highlands.

kokuhisho
—black-skin syndrome caused by the inclusion of a coal tar dye in women’s skin cream.

kokyu suru
—in certain martial arts, an attack stance; to breathe.

komuso
—a wandering ascetic; the ideogram used at the center of the
Kuji-kiri ninja
crest.

konzern
—division of a
keiretsu
conglomerate, broken down by industry.

koppo
—the martial art of breaking bones.

ku
—wards, the broadest area designations, within a city.

Kuji-kiri
—literally, “nine-hands cutting”; a form of black
ninjutsu.
See
Kan-aku na ninjutsu.

kushi
—traditional comb used in the hair, usually part of a set. See
kanzashi.

kyo
—emptiness, as in breathing.

kyodobatsu
—the bond between men born in the same prefecture or town.

Kyoiku mama
—an education mother; one who helps her children in their academic studies.

kyudo
—a martial art.

kyukon
—the nine organ meridians on a human body.

kyusho
—vital spots.

mabiki
—the weeding-out process used to rid a school or bureau of undesirables.

maho-zukai
—a sorceror.

makiotoshi
—in spike and chain combat, a move to wind the chain about the opponent’s neck. See
manrikigusari.

manrikigusari
—literally, “the chain with the strength of ten thousand men,” a martial arts weapon consisting of a steel chain weighted at both ends.

mempo
—a battle mask made of hinged steel.

menju fukuhai
—literally, “reversing in the belly.” Slang phrase used by bureaucrats still under the domination of the American Occupation. It meant carrying out American orders on the face of it while reversing policy after some time had passed.

michi
—a path; a journey; duty; the unknown; a stranger.

mie
—a stylized pose used in
kabuki.

miira
—a mummy.

miko
—a sorceress; a maiden in the service of a shrine.

mochi
—traditional rice cakes eaten at New Year’s.

montsuki
—part of the traditional dress of the
sumo
grand champion.

muhon-nin
—a traitor.

musubinawa—
an eight-meter coil of rope made of women’s hair. See
rokugu.

naga-hibachi
—a kind of stove.

nariyuki no matsu
—to wait for the turn of events; to be patient.

nekode
—cat’s claws made of forged steel. See
rokugu.

netsuke
—carvings of ivory or wood, traditionally used to tie off the strings of an
inro,
a carved box, worn around the waist when dressed in a kimono, in lieu of pockets.

ninja
—literally, “in stealth.” A Japanese assassin.

ninjutsu
—a wide field of subspecies of martial arts studied by
ninja.

Noh
—serious Japanese drama.

oba-chama
—grandmother.

Oba
—mother, formally.

obi
—wide silk sash used to hold kimono in place.

ochugen
—in business, a mid-year gift.

Ogawa-no-jutsu
—the arcane art of breaking down toxic substances inside the body. Part of
ninjutsu.

ogi
—a folding fan.

oiran
—a full-fledged
geisha.
There are three levels, of which
tayu
is the highest.

Okagesamade
—the equivalent of “I am fine.” See
Ikagadesuka.

omae
—the form of “you” used only by men.

omoya
—literally, “mother house,” the central section of a Japanese house, reserved for family members only.

oseibo
—in business, a year-end gift. Westerners may see this as a bonus but, in fact, it is used to repay the obligations that have accrued during the course of the twelve-month period.

oshi
—in
sumo
wrestling, pushing with the entire body.

oyabun
—the head of a
yakuza
family; the boss.

ozeki
—
sumo
champion.

pachinko
—a pinball-like game played on a vertical field.

quai loh
—Cantonese for foreign devil.

riakon
—a Japanese country inn.

ritsurei
—in
aikido,
the ritual bow before the
sensei
of the
dojo.

rokugu
—the
ninja
’s six tools for traveling.

ronin
—literally, “wave man.” In feudal times, a masterless samurai; today it is employed to describe ministers who have retired from bureaucratic life and have not yet formed a new business affiliation.

rotenburo
—an outdoor hot bath.

ryochi
—a feudal lord’s region of power. See
daimyō.

ryu
—a school or discipline of martial arts.

saika tanden
—in martial arts preparedness, a state of “nothingness,” where one is ready for all eventualities.

saiminjutsu
—an arcane form of martial arts practiced by some
ninja,
involving a particularly potent form of hypnotism.

sake
—rice wine, the traditional Japanese drink, served hot or cold.

sakura
—a cherry blossom, a national symbol.

samisen
—traditional stringed instrument.

samurai
—in feudal Japan, the warrior. The
samurai
class was the only one allowed to wear swords in public.

-san
—suffix to a name used for respect and politeness.

San Ho Hiu
—Three Harmonies Association. The traditional name for the Triads.

sanchome
—area designation within a city district.

sankinkotaiseido
—in feudal times, the annual pilgrimage of
daimyo
to the capital, seat of the
Shogun
’s power.

sashimi—
raw sliced fish.

sashimono
—an ancient battle standard.

seikotsu
—an adjunct to the art of
katsu
, a form of deep resuscitation.

seisan fukko setsu
—the theory of economic reconstruction through industrial production.

sempai
—in business, an elder champion.

sennin
—a
ninja
adept, a
sensei.

sensei
—a master. Generally refers to the martial arts but may be used more broadly.

seppuku
—ritual suicide. Traditionally, only samurai were allowed this most honorable form of death.

shaken jigoku
—examination hell, rigorous cramming for batteries of school tests and college entrance exams.

shimpu
—the divine winds of 1274 and 1281 which drowned the Mongol army intent of invading Japan; in World War II slang, daredevil taxi drivers.

shinki kiitsu
—the unity of soul, mind, and body that is the essence of all martial arts.

shinzo
—level of apprentice
geisha.
See
geisha, oiran, tayu, kamuro.

shitahara
—in martial arts exercises, the awareness of power located in the lower belly; the force of
hara.

shitamachi
—Tokyo’s downtown area.

shogun
—the supreme warlord of feudal Japan.

shoji
—translucent sliding screen defining rooms in a traditional Japanese house.

shomen uchi
—in
aikido,
a punishing blow to the head.

shunga
—prints with an erotic content. See
ukiyo-e.

shuriken
—any one of a number of small steel blades employed by
ninja.

so desu
—thank you.

soba
—buckwheat noodles.

sobi
—sublime beauty.

someiyoshino
—an early-blooming variety of cherry blossom. See
hanami
and
sakura.

sotomawari
—literally, “going around the track”; in bureaucratic life, an accelerating series of postings and promotions that puts one on the elite track.

sumai
—combat
sumo.

sumo
—the martial art of wrestling; traditional wrestlers of large size and girth because of their extraordinary
hara.

sushi
—raw fish wrapped around sticky rice and green horseradish.

Tai Chi Chuan
—a form of martial art that emphasizes balance, muscular control, and contemplation.

tai-pan
—head of a number of important trading houses in Hong Kong.

tambo
—a hard percussive blow in sword combat and practice. See
kenjutsu
and
bokken.

tanden
—the brain’s reflex control center.

tatami
—reed mat of a specific size comprising the floor of a traditional Japanese house. Room sizes are measured by
tatami
number.

tayu
—the highest level of
oiran geisha.

Tenchi
—literally, Heaven and Earth.

tenno no kanri
—literally, “officials of the Emperor.” Term used to describe the modern Japanese bureaucrat.

tokonoma
—raised praying niche.

tonkatsu
—breaded pork cutlet.