List of English words of Japanese origin

Words of Japanese origin have entered many languages. Some words are simple transliterations of Japanese language words for concepts inherent to Japanese culture, but some are actually words of Chinese origin that were first exposed to English via Japan. The words on this page are an incomplete list of words which are listed in major English dictionaries and whose etymologies include Japanese. The reverse of this list can be found at List of gairaigo and wasei-eigo terms.

Arts

bokeh 

(from ぼけ boke), subjective aesthetic quality of out-of-focus areas of an image projected by a camera lens.

bonsai 

盆栽 <phonos file="Bonsai.ogg">listen</phonos>, "tray gardening"; the art of tending miniature trees. Originated from Chinese 盆栽 penzai

bunraku

文楽, a form of traditional Japanese puppet theatre, performed by puppeteers, chanters, and shamisen players.

haiku 

俳句 , a very short poem consisting of three lines of 5, 7, and 5 morae (not syllables as commonly thought) each; see also tanka below.

ikebana 

生花, flower arrangement.

imari

伊万里, Japanese porcelain wares (made in the town of Arita and exported from the port of Imari, particularly around the 17th century).

kabuki

歌舞伎, a traditional form of Japanese theatre; also any form of elaborate theatre, especially metaphorically.

kakemono

掛け物, a vertical Japanese scroll, of ink-and-brush painting or calligraphy, that hangs in a recess on a wall inside a room.

kakiemon

柿右衛門, Japanese porcelain wares featuring enamel decoration (made in Arita, using the style developed in the 17th century by 酒井田 柿右衛門 Sakaida Kakiemon).

karaoke 

カラオケ , "empty orchestra"; entertainment where an amateur singer accompanies recorded music.

kirigami 

切り紙, similar to origami, but involves cutting in addition to folding.

koto

琴, a traditional stringed musical instrument from Japan, resembling a zither with 13 strings.

makimono

巻物, a horizontal Japanese hand scroll, of ink-and-brush painting or calligraphy

manga 

まんが or 漫画 , Japanese comics; refers to comics in general in Japanese

netsuke

根付, a toggle used to tie the sash of a kimono also to attach small items such as inro and kinchaku: sometimes beautifully carved.

noh

能 nō, a major form of classical Japanese music drama

origami 

折り紙, artistic paper folding

otaku 

オタク or おたく or ヲタク, a geeky enthusiast, especially of anime and manga (note that the Japanese usage has a much stronger negative connotation than the Western usage).

senryu 

川柳, a form of short poetry similar to haiku.

shamisen

三味線, a three-stringed musical instrument, played with a plectrum.

sumi-e 

墨絵, a general term for painting with a brush and black ink.

tanka 

短歌, "short poetry"; an older form of Japanese poetry than haiku, of the form 5-7-5-7-7 morae (not syllables; see also haiku above).

ukiyo-e 

浮世絵, a type of woodblock print art or painting.

waka 

和歌, "Japanese poetry"; a word used primarily to describe tanka (see above) written between the 9th and 19th centuries.

wabi-sabi 

a world view or aesthetic centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection.

Business

kaizen

改善, literally "change for the better." In practice, a Japanese business philosophy of continuous improvement of working practices, personal efficiency, etc. Initially made famous by the 1986 book of same name.

kanban

看板, literally a "signal" or "sign" signals a cycle of replenishment for production and materials and maintains an orderly and efficient flow of materials throughout the entire manufacturing process. Part of Six Sigma

karoshi 

(Japanese: 過労死 death by overwork / stress death)

keiretsu 

系列, a set of companies with interlocking business relationships and shareholdings

tycoon 

(from 大君 "taikun"), "great prince" or "high commander", later applied to wealthy business leaders

zaibatsu 

財閥, a "money clique" or conglomerate

Clothing

geta

下駄, a pair of Japanese raised wooden clogs worn with traditional Japanese garments, such as the kimono

inro

印籠 inrō, a case for holding small objects, often worn hanging from the obi; (traditional Japanese clothes didn't have pockets)

kimono 

着物, a traditional full-length robe-like garment still worn by women, men and children

obi

帯, a wide belt which is tied in the back to secure a kimono

zori

草履 zōri, sandals made from rice straw or lacquered wood, worn with a kimono for formal occasions

Culinary

adzuki, azuki bean

あずき or 小豆 , type of bean grown in eastern Asia and the Himalayas, used in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese cuisines, usually served sweet

arame 

荒布, a type of edible seaweed

bento 

弁当 bentō, a single-portion takeout meal, box lunch

daikon 

大根, a kind of white radish

dashi 

だし or 出汁, a simple soup stock considered fundamental to Japanese cooking

edamame 

枝豆, soybeans boiled whole in the green pod and served with salt

enokitake, enoki mushroom 

えのきたけ or 榎茸, long, thin white mushrooms, used in Japanese, Korean and Chinese cuisines

fugu 

河豚 or フグ, the meat of the toxic pufferfish, must be prepared by specially trained chefs by law. Also means pufferfish itself.

ginkgo 

銀杏 or ぎんなん ginnan, a gymnospermous tree (Ginkgo biloba) of eastern China that is widely grown as an ornamental or shade tree and has fan-shaped leaves and yellow fruit (the word is derived from 17th Century Japanese 銀杏 ginkyō)

gyoza 

ギョーザ or 餃子 gyōza, Japanese name for Chinese dumplings, jiaozi (jiǎozi); may also be called pot stickers in English if they are fried

hibachi 

火鉢, a small, portable charcoal grill; used in North America to refer to a teppan or a small shichirin-like aluminium or cast iron grill

hijiki 

ひじき or 鹿尾菜, a type of edible seaweed commonly found on rocky coastlines

katsuo 

鰹, a skipjack tuna

katsuobushi 

かつおぶし or 鰹節, dried and smoked skipjack tuna (katsuo), which is shaved and then used in dashi

koji 

麴 or 麹 kōji, a fungus which is the active agent in the fermentation processes, of producing miso and soy sauce from soybeans, and of producing sake and shōchū from rice.

kombu 

昆布, dried kelp, which can be eaten or used as dashi

matsutake 

松茸, a type of edible mushroom, with a magnificently spicy aroma similar to cinnamon, considered to be a great delicacy and the most coveted mushroom in Japan

mirin 

味醂, an essential condiment of the Japanese cuisine, a kind of rice wine similar to sake with a slightly sweet taste

miso 

味噌, a thick paste made by fermenting soybeans with salt

mizuna 

水菜, an edible plant, with flavor akin to the mustard plant

nappa, napa cabbage 

菜っ葉, Chinese cabbage, (in Japan, it is a generic term for leaf vegetables.)

nashi (pear) 

梨, a species of pear native to eastern Asia, which are juicy, round and shaped like apples. Often simply referred to as "asian pear(s)".

nori 

海苔, food products created from the seaweed laver by a shredding and rack-drying process that resembles papermaking.

panko 

パン粉, Japanese white bread flakes. Panko is made from bread without crusts, thus it has a crisper, airier texture than most types of breading found in Western cuisine.

ramen 

ラーメン rāmen, the Japanese version of Chinese noodle soup, not limited to the instant variety

sake 

酒 ,nihon-shu(日本酒), an alcoholic beverage, brewed from rice. In Japanese, the word commonly refers to alcoholic drinks in general

sashimi 

刺身, a Japanese delicacy primarily consisting of the freshest raw seafoods thinly sliced and served with only a dipping sauce and wasabi.

satsuma 

(from 薩摩 Satsuma, an ancient province of Japan), a type of mandarin orange (mikan) native to Japan

shabu shabu 

しゃぶしゃぶ, a meal where each person cooks their own food in their own cooking pot from an assortment of raw ingredients

shiitake mushroom 

しいたけ or 椎茸 , an edible mushroom typically cultivated on the shii tree

shoyu 

醬油 or 醤油shōyu, Japanese soy sauce

soba 

蕎麦 or ソバ, thin brown buckwheat noodles

soy 

from shoyu 醤油

sukiyaki 

すき焼き or スキヤキ, a dish in the nabemono-style (one-pot), consisting of thinly sliced beef, tofu, konnyaku noodles, negi, Chinese cabbage (bok choy), and enoki mushrooms among others

surimi 

すり身 or 擂り身, processed meat made from cheaper white-fleshed fish, to imitate the look of a more expensive meat such as crab legs

sushi 

鮨 or 鮓 or 寿司, a dish consisting of vinegared rice combined with other ingredients such as raw fish, raw or cooked shellfish, or vegetables

takoyaki

たこ焼, たこ焼き, or 章魚焼き, literally fried or baked octopus

tamari 

溜まり or たまり, liquid obtained by pressing soybeans

tempura 

てんぷら or 天麩羅, classic Japanese deep fried batter-dipped seafood and vegetables. The word may be from Portuguese tempêro/seasoning.

teppanyaki 

鉄板焼き, a type of Japanese cuisine that uses a hot iron griddle (teppan) to cook food

teriyaki 

照り焼き or テリヤキ, a cooking technique where fish or meat is being broiled/grilled in a sweet soy sauce marinade; in Japanese, it is used exclusively refer to poultry cooked in this manner.

tofu 

豆腐 tōfu bean curd. Although the word is originally Chinese, it entered English via Japanese.

udo 

ウド or 独活, an edible plant found on the slopes of wooded embankments, also known as the Japanese Spikenard

udon 

うどん or 饂飩, a type of thick wheat-based noodle

umami 

旨味 or うま味, the taste sensation produced by some condiments such as monosodium glutamate; a basic flavor in sea weed (昆布 kombu)

umeboshi 

梅干, pickled ume

wakame 

ワカメ or 若布, a type of edible kelp, often used in miso soup (Japan), and salads

wasabi 

わさび or 山葵, a strongly flavoured green condiment also known as Japanese horseradish

yakitori 

焼き鳥 or 焼鳥, a type of chicken kebab

Government and politics

daimyo

大名 daimyō, "great names"; the most powerful Japanese feudal rulers from the 12th century to the 19th century

genro

元老 genrō, retired elder Japanese statesmen, who served as informal advisors to the emperor, during the Meiji and Taisho eras

mikado

帝, a dated term for "emperor"; specifically for the Emperor of Japan

shogun

将軍 shōgun <phonos file="Shogun.ogg">listen</phonos>, the title of the practical ruler of Japan for most of the time from 1192 to the Meiji Era

Martial arts

aikido

合気道 aikidō

dojo

道場 dōjō

judo

柔道 jūdō, refers to the Olympic sport.

jujutsu

柔術 jūjutsu, alternately spelt, through mutation, as jiu-jitsu in English.

karate

空手 a fighting style which includes the use of hands and feet to strike the opponent, without any weapon, and is also a popular international sports event. Literally means "empty handed".

kendo

剣道 kendō

sumo

相撲 sumō

Religion

bonze

(from 凡僧 bonsō), a Buddhist monk

koan

公案 kōan, a paradoxial story or statement used during meditation in Zen Buddhism. Inspired the hacker koan tradition amongst computing circles.

satori

悟り, enlightenment in Zen Buddhism

shinto

神道 shintō, the native religion of Japan

torii

鳥居, traditional Japanese gates commonly found at the gateway to Shinto shrines

zen 

禅, from Chinese 禪 (Mandarin Chán), originally from ध्यान Sanskrit Dhyāna / Pali झान Jhāna, a branch of Mahāyāna Buddhism.

Other

akita 

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

bukkake 

ぶっかけ, a sex act portrayed in pornographic films, in which several men ejaculate on a woman, or another man. Note that in Japanese it has a broader meaning of "to pour" or "to splash".

domoic acid 

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

emoji 

絵文字, ideograms used in electronic messages and webpages.

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

hikikomori 

ひきこもり or 引き籠もり, a psychological condition where the affected individual lives an extremely socially isolated lifestyle, a decision of preference not by default

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

katana 

(from かたな literally sword) A Japanese sword that has been forged using traditional Japanese methods. This is referred to as 日本刀 (nihontō) in Japanese.

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)

ninja 

Japanese covert agent of the feudal era

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"

samurai 

Japanese knight

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.

senpai 

先輩, the Japanese term for "upperclassman" or "senior".

shiatsu 

指圧, a form of massage

shiba inu 

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

shinro

しんろ, a logic puzzle related to sudoku

skosh

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

sudoku 

数独 sūdoku , 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

Further reading

• Hayakawa, Isamu (2014) A Historical Dictionary of Japanese Words Used in English. Revised and Corrected Edition. Tokyo: Texnai.

See also

• Anime and manga terminology
• Japanese words of English origin
• Cuisine of Japan
  • Category:Japanese cooking tools