A

ARIGATOU.. Thanks. The use of this word denotes some familiarity with the person it is being said to. The full polite expression would be, Doumo arigatou gozaimasu (Thank you very much).

B
BAKA.. An insult that casts a shadow on the function and contents of the subject's mind.. the word quite literally means fool. One could also say, o-baka or great fool.

BISHOUJO.. The literal translation is Beautiful Girl. Example; Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon...
(Pretty Soldier Sailormoon).

BISHOUNEN.. The literal translation is Beautiful Boy. Bishounen are found in all types of manga and anime and can be quite masculine, they are not necessarily "effeminate" males but sometimes are. Bishounen are the focus in shounenai or Boy's love manga... see the definition of yaoi.

BUDDHISM.. Aside from Shinto, the other major religion in Japan is Buddhism. Buddhist teachings found their way to Japan in 552 AD, having traversed most of Asia from their birthplace in India. Gautama Buddha's message was that all suffering in this world is caused by desire and an attachment to the material plane of existence. Only through right living, ending desire, and doing away with the "self" can enlightenment be attained and the bliss of Nirvana entered. Although several very different types of Buddhism flourish in Japan, Westerners are usually most familiar with Zen Buddhism, which focuses on discipline and meditation, and has the most parallels with Taoism. When looking at manga and anime it's important to understand that these Arts sprang from a culture with a completely different religious orientation than Western countries. Japanese values and sensibilities have been shaped over thousands of years by Shinto and Buddhist teachings. Christianity is a latecomer to Japan, and today less than one percent of Japan's population embraces Christianity.

C
-CHAN.. The honorific used when addressing or referring to children, girls and young women. The word is not used between adults unless there is a great deal of familiarity and affection. Because of the cuteness of the term, this honorific tends to be gender particular and is more often heard when referring to females, as in "Rei-chan spoke with Gendo-san."

COMIKET.. A Japanese contraction of the English words comic and market. Comiket is Japan's largest biannual gathering of manga sellers and buyers in Tokyo. Held at the Tokyo Big Sight Convention Center, crowds of over 100,000 people will show up for the two day event. Over 10,000 creators and publishers of doujinshi sell their wares at Comiket, but you can also find vendors selling postcards, posters, trading cards, and other manga and anime related items. Game developers also have a large presence, selling the very latest in anime computer games.

G
GAIJIN.. Has the same meaning as the English word, foreigner though it's not necessarily used in a derogatory manner. The word is actually short for gaikokujin (foreigner), and is used to refer to all non-Japanese persons. While a few right-wing nationalist minded Japanese may imbue the word with the politics of distrust ("the foreigner" as threat to cultural purity), most people offer no offense when using the word and are most respectful to persons of non-Japanese descent.

I
IDOL.. A young Pop singer, actor, or starlet. Japan has been awash with Pop icons since the 1960's, and today new Idols seem to be manufactured on a weekly basis. The all girl group Morning Musume is a fine contemporary example of an Idol group. Satoshi Kon's animated motion picture Perfect Blue is a murder mystery involving a female Idol singing group.

K
KAIJUU.. A huge threatening monster of enormous destructive power. Japanese science fiction films are filled with kaijuu... Godzilla (Gojira), Mothra, and Gamera are just a few.

KAMI.. An expression for Supreme Being (God), which in Shinto, can also be used to describe lesser supernatural beings and spirits inhabiting the natural universe (see also SHINTO). When speaking of a particular god or God, it would be proper to say, kami-sama. Kami can be translated many different ways depending on the context, for example, kamikaze means "holy wind".

KAPPA.. This monster spirit lives in water and has been associated with rivers. Kappa are very strong and are dangerous to humans. They like to drink sake and eat cucumbers, in fact, their love of cucumbers is so great that the sushi made from cucumber has come to be called kappa-maki.

KATANA.. The beautiful slightly curved sword called katana is said by many to be the very soul of Japan, and the county's history and folklore is replete with references to the blade.

KAWAII.. The Japanese word for cute. Cuteness is a national fixation in Japan and it is certainly one of the defining aesthetics of manga and anime. Westerners who first encounter the cult of cute initially go into shock... but believe me, it grows on you.

KETSUEKIGATA.. An understanding of a person's character made by knowing his or her blood type. You'll often be asked by new Japanese friends, "What's your blood type?"

KODOMO.. Kodomo means "child" and in Japan there are manga and anime specifically created for children under 10 years of age. Doraemon and Anpanman are two wildly popular kodomo titles. Doraemon is a futuristic robot cat who is sent back in time (which would be our present), in order to combat evil and save humanity. Anpanman is a superhero sweet roll filled with bean jam who fights giant evil germs and feeds the hungry by letting them eat his head.

-KUN.. An honorific used for addressing or referring to children and teenagers, particularly males, or in an adult setting, used to address an inferior. In anime, you see this term used more and more to address females, especially ones who tend to act rather "masculine".

M
MANGA.. In 1814 the famous Japanese artist Hokusai created a book of black & white sketches that he called manga (involuntary sketches). In recent Japanese history the word has come to describe those small illustrated books of black & white ink drawings that tell a series of stories. Graphic novel would be the closest translation for "manga" though they are not at all like novels in the Western sense, nor are they comparable to Western comic books. Manga cover a wide range of topics, from fantasy & adventure, to sports & cooking.

MANGAKA.. Manga Artist. One who draws manga. The word is gender neutral and can refer to a male or female artist. In fact many of Japan's most famous mangaka are women. Takeuchi Naoko (Sailormoon), Takahashi Rumiko (Ranma 1/2), and Watase Yu (Fushigi Yuugi), to name but a few.

MAHOU.. The Japanese word for magic. Also used in conjunction with the word shoujo (Girl). Mahou shoujo literally means "magical girl".

MASAKA.. The Japanese expression for "It can't be!"

MINNA.. Meaning everyone. You can respectfully address an entire room full of people by using the honorific minna-san, which is somewhat like saying "Ladies and Gentlemen." However, the honorific is gender neutral so it could be used when speaking to women, men, or mixed company.

N
NANI.. The Japanese word for what.

O
OHAYOU.. Good Morning. The polite form would be "ohayou gozaimasu."

ONI.. A fierce horned demon somewhat akin to the ogre found in Western mythology. Oni have the power to transform into the human female form in order to mask their true identity.

OTAKU.. This word can have a very negative meaning depending on the context in which it is used. In Japanese society its usage is widely understood to mean someone who is an anti-social maniac. But in the International anime community the word has evolved into a slang reference meaning obsessed fan. Serious devotees of anime and manga call themselves otaku.

R
RONIN.. Samurai were a class of military retainers to the rich and powerful (samurai means "one who serves"), but when samurai lost their benefactors they became ronin, or "masterless samurai."

S
SAKURA.. Means cherry blossom, or cherry blossom tree, and sakura hold a very special place in the Japanese heart. As far back as the 10th century the blossom has been considered the national flower, and it has been the subject of poetry, prose, and paintings over the ages. From the 10th century to the present day, hanami or "flower viewing" parties have been held in March and April to celebrate the ephemeral beauty of the delicate pink flower. During hanami season, trees all over Japan go into full bloom and clouds of cherry blossoms can be seen carried on the gentle winds. One of the most reoccurring visuals in all of anime is the sight of cherry blossoms gently floating to the ground, with flurries of the petals surrounding on screen characters. Keep in mind, that to the Japanese, the cherry blossom is so special, that a cherry blossom tree (sakura) and cherry fruit tree (sakurambo) are two totally different things.

-SAMA.. The very formal honorific used when talking to or about someone who is much older and wiser, or someone whom you admire to the point of near worship. The honorific is gender neutral and used when referring to men or women. Used primarily to show great respect to an individual, as in "Miyazaki-sama is a distinguished artist."

-SAN.. The formal, polite honorific one uses when talking to or about someone of equal social status. The honorific is gender neutral and used when referring to adult men or women, as in "Gendo-san and Ritsuko-san both work with computers."

SEIYUU.. A professional voice actor or actress. In Japan, animation studios employ seiyuu to provide the many voices for characters. Some seiyuu have become big stars in their own right due to their voice acting abilities. A talented seiyuu can take on a wide variety of roles, for instance Ohtani Ikue does the voice of Pikachu from Pocket Monsters as well as doing the voice of the cat girl named Meruru from
Vision of Escaflowne.

SENPAI.. An honorific used by a young person when talking to or about a benefactor or senior in a social organization. The usage of this honorific is encountered time and again in anime, mostly when students are talking to or about their senior classmates, as in "Tamiya-sempai heads the campus motorcycle club." Used as a noun, it would just mean, "our seniors", or "our upperclassmen".

SEINEN.. Seinen means "young Man."

SENSEI.. The formal, polite honorific used when addressing someone who is an accomplished professional. doctors, teachers, professors, scientists, and other specialists are addressed in this way. Gifted individuals in the arts are also addressed in this manner, as in "Akemi-sensei created the great series known as Patlabor."

SENSHI.. The literal translation of this word is soldier.

SHINTO.. Japan's oldest and original intrinsic religion is Shinto. In Shintoism everything in the natural world possesses it's own spirit, or kami. Shinto is based upon the worship of and coexistence with the natural world. The highest deity in the Shinto pantheon is the sun goddess Amaterasu. In the Tenchi Muyo series, Tenchi's Father, Masaki Yoshi, is a Shinto Priest. A Shinto place of worship is always called a Jinja (shrine), and a Buddhist place of worship is always referred to as an Otera (temple), though architecturally the two buildings may look quite similar.

SHRINE.. In Shinto, the natural world is sacred, and in the ancient past some of the first places of worship were large trees or boulders. Shimenawa, or "sacred ropes" made of paper and rice straw are still placed on or around areas designated as sacred (In Miyazaki's My Friend Totoro a shimenawa can be seen around the tree Totoro sleeps in). Shimenawa can always be seen draped above the entrance to a Shrine (a Shinto place of worship is referred to as a Shrine, whereas a Buddhist place of worship is a Temple). The entranceway to a shrine is often marked with a red archway called a torii. Today many anime enthusiasts refer to web sites constructed in honor of specific anime characters as "shrines."

SHOUJO.. The Japanese word for girl. Shoujo also defines the manga and anime titles that are specifically created for young girls. These works often have very complex stories and character interaction. Romantic and plot driven shoujo works like Onii-sama e, Marmalade Boy, and Fushigi Yuugi have also attracted large numbers of male fans.

SHOUNEN.. The Japanese word for boy.

SHUNGA.. A literal translation of this word would be Images of Spring. In 18th Century Japan most ukiyo-e artists produced shunga works. These erotic artworks displayed staggering imagination and made their presence felt in the form of popular woodblock prints. Modern day eroticism found in manga and anime can be traced back to shunga, not in any overt stylistic sense, but in the celebration of the sexual as natural and part of life. Remember, in Japanese culture there is no concept of "original sin" as there is in the Christian West (see UKIYO-E).

T
TOMODACHI.. Friend.

Y
YUME.. The Japanese word for dream.

YURUSENAI.. A very common expression which means "I won't forgive you!"