List of English Words of Japanese Origin - Other

Other

akita

秋田 (from 秋田犬, akitainu or akitaken), the Akita Inu, a large breed of Japanese dog

domoic acid

(from ドウモイ doumoi in the Tokunoshima dialect of Japanese: a type of red algae)

futon

(from 布団, a flat mattress with a fabric exterior stuffed with cotton, wool, or synthetic batting that makes up a Japanese bed.)

geisha

芸者, traditional Japanese artist-entertainers

hentai

変態 listen, Western usage: pornographic Anime, usually either Japanese in origin or drawn in a Japanese style; Japanese usage: metamorphosis, transformation, abnormality, or perversion

honcho

班長 hanchō, head, chief

kamikaze

神風, the literal meaning is "divine wind"; used to refer to a Japanese soldier in World War II who crashed an airplane into an target, committing suicide; also refers to the airplane used in the suicide crash

katsura (tree)

桂, large deciduous trees, native to eastern Asia

kawaii

可愛い, cute and/or lovely.

koi

鯉, Western usage: ornamental varieties of the common carp (but in Japan this just means "carp" – the ornamental variety are called "nishikigoi" 錦鯉)

kudzu

(from 葛 or クズ kuzu) A climbing vine found in the south-eastern US, which is native to Japan and south-eastern China

moxa

もぐさ or 艾 mogusa, mugwort or cotton wool or other combustible material, burned on skin during moxibustion

moxibustion

(from moxa + (com)bustion), an oriental medicine therapy which involves the burning of moxa (see above)

rickshaw

(from 人力車 jinrikisha/ninryokusha), a human-pulled wagon

sayonara

左様なら or さようなら sayōnara the Japanese term for "goodbye" (note, though, that in Japanese, it has formal and final connotations: one would not say it if one expects to meet again soon)

sensei

先生, the Japanese term for "master", "teacher" or "doctor". It can be used to refer to any authority figure, such as a schoolteacher, professor, priest, or politician.

shiatsu

指圧, a form of massage

shiba inu

柴犬, the smallest of the six original and distinct Japanese breeds of dog

skosh

A small amount, from 少し or すこし sukoshi, meaning "a bit" or "a few"

sudoku

数独 sūdoku listen, a number placement puzzle, also known as Number Place in the United States.

tanuki

狸, the Japanese name for the animal, Nyctereutes procyonoides, known as a raccoon dog in English

tsunami

津波, literally "harbour wave"; Large wave caused by earthquakes or other underwater disturbances.

urushiol

(from 漆 or うるし urushi, a plant that gives a skin rash on contact) a chemical substance found in poison-ivy, used to make lacquer-ware