| Futon |
A
thin mattress of tufted cotton batting or similar material, placed
on a floor or on a raised, foldable frame. |
| Haiku
|
A
Japanese lyric verse form having three unrhymed lines of five,
seven, and five syllables, traditionally invoking an aspect of
nature or the seasons. |
| Hiroshima
|
A
city of southwest Honshu, Japan, it was destroyed in World War
II by the first atomic bomb used in warfare (August 6, 1945).
|
| Honshu
|
The
largest island of Japan, in the central part of the country between
the Sea of Japan and the Pacific Ocean. |
| Japan |
Source of the sun, also called "The Land of the Rising Sun." |
| Kendo
|
The
Japanese martial art of fencing with bamboo swords. The oldest
form of martial arts. |
| Origami |
The
art or process, originating in Japan, of folding paper into shapes
representing flowers and birds, for example. |
| Mt.
Fuji |
The
highest peak, in Japan. An almost perfectly symmetrical snow-capped
volcanic cone, it is a sacred mountain and an active volcano. |
| Noh |
The
classical drama of Japan, with music and dance performed in a
highly stylized manner by elaborately dressed performers on an
almost bare stage. |
| Samurai
|
In
the former feudal system of Japan, the class or a member of the
class, of military retainers of the daimios, constituting the
gentry or lesser nobility. They possessed power of life and death
over the commoners, and wore two swords as their distinguishing
mark. Their special rights and privileges were abolished with
the fall of feudalism in 1871. |
| Sumo |
A
Japanese form of wrestling in which a fighter loses if forced
from the ring or if any part of his body except the soles of his
feet touches the ground. |
| Shikoku
|
The smallest of the four main islands of Japan. |
| Sushi |
Cold
cooked rice dressed with vinegar that is shaped into bite-sized
pieces and topped with raw or cooked fish, or formed into a roll
with fish, egg, or vegetables and wrapped in seaweed. |
| Tatami |
Straw
matting used as a floor covering especially in a Japanese house.
|
| Tempura
|
A
Japanese dish of vegetables and shrimp or other seafood dipped
in batter and fried in deep fat. |
| Tokyo
|
The
capital and largest city of Japan, Tokyo became the imperial capital
in 1868. |
| Yen
|
The
Japanese dollar; currency. |
