the god of foodstuffs (esp. of rice)
Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata)
tampala; Joseph's coat; Amaranthus tricolor
nonexistence or existence; absence or presence
suffering pain; experiencing hardship
Lethal Weapon (series) (film)
Momotarou (legendary Japanese folk-tale hero)
crank call; prank call; nuisance call
imitation crab meat; crab sticks
report of death; notification of a death
covering one's head with a handkerchief, scarf, etc.; tying a cloth around one's head
Kshitigarbha (bodhisattva who looks over children, travellers and the underworld) (travelers); Ksitigarbha; Jizo
regrettable; unsatisfactory; deplorable; lamentable
Inari (god of harvests, wealth, fertility, etc.); Inari shrine; inarizushi (sushi wrapped in fried tofu); scrotum; testicle sack
bodhisattva; one who has reached enlightenment but vows to save all beings before becoming a buddha; High Monk (title bestowed by the imperial court); title bestowed to Shinto kami in manifestation theory
bamboo grass; generally smaller species of running bamboo that do not shed their sheaths (e.g. Sasa spp.)
carrot and stick; (lit.) candy and whip
Shang dynasty (of China; approx. 1600-1046 BCE); Yin dynasty
fiery chariot; kasha (mythical beast said to devour dead bodies); (in China) train (i.e. steam locomotive); (arch.) vile old hag
Yama; judge of the afterlife
(Shinto) shrines and (Buddhist) temples
Genji and Heike clans; two opposing sides
eaves; narrow aisle surrounding the core of a temple building
ground cherry (Physalis alkekengi var. franchetii); husk tomato; Chinese lantern plant; children's noisemaking toy
Mount Penglai; Penglai Island; sacred mountain (e.g. Mount Fuji, Mount Kumano, etc.); Kansai New Year decoration (made from food); Formosa; Taiwan
dwarf; midget; elf; Issun-bōshi (Japanese fairytale)
low-ranking prison guard; hell's tormenting devils
Heike family; Taira family
natural drugs; natural remedy; herbal medicine; crude drugs; galenical
nine-tailed fox; old, golden-furred fox with nine tails and shapeshifting powers used to fool humans; orig. a Chinese mystical beast whose appearance was considered auspicious
to work together; to strive together; (lit.) to form a tag team
vaccination; inoculation; immunization; immunisation
Muromachi period (1333-1573)
blame; accusation; torture; maltreatment; pangs (of conscience)
fabrication; put-up job; trumped-up story; frame-up; hoax
dual nature; bilateral character; two-facedness; two-sidedness
at last; finally; barely; narrowly; yo-ho!; heave-ho!
Kaguya-Hime (main character of Taketori Monogatari); Princess Kaguya
field overseer; site foreman