your body; your health; yourself; you
(another's) daughter; young lady (of pampered upbringing); woman who has never known hardship; naive woman
thanks; gratitude; manners; etiquette; bow; reward
honorific/polite/humble prefix
attending (upon); keeping another company
errand; mission; messenger; bearer; familiar spirit
fairy tale; fairy story; nursery tale
princess; spoiled girl; hothouse flower; glue
grace (of God); benevolence (of Buddha); assistance; help; effects; influence
going out (of a nobleman, etc.); visiting
hand; arm; handwriting; penmanship; 'shake' (command to have a dog place its paw in your hand)
your home; your family; their home; (my) home
shelving (a play, movie, etc.); closing down; cancelling; rice storehouse of the Edo shogunate
(your) words; what you say; what you have said; a few words (of welcome, advice, etc.)
you (when referring to one's equals or inferiors)
your native country; your hometown; my home country (i.e. Japan); countryside; country; (arch.) daimyo's territory (Edo period)
babysitting; babysitter; taking care of; assisting; assistant
you; presence (of a god, nobleman, etc.)
request; favour (to ask); wish; please
story; tale; talk; discussion
elder sister; effeminate man
tea (usu. green); tea break (at work); tea ceremony
thanks to ...; owing to ...; because of ...
abode (of a nobleman or emperor); Imperial chamber
father; dad; husband; you; he
confections; sweets; candy; cake
head; brains; intelligence
(someone else's) child; child; kid
(another's) daughter; young lady
the Emperor; His Majesty; the government; the authorities; proprietress; hostess
near; close; beside; attendant; retainer; vassal
spy working for the Edo shogunate; oniwaban
bento; Japanese box lunch
sacred wine or sake; sake offered to the gods; sake
(someone else's) daughter
eye; eyes; sight; vision; looking
retainer; attendant; escort
type of household amulet or talisman, issued by a Shinto shrine, hung in the house for protection
to meet (someone of higher status); (arch.) to be recognized (esp. by someone of higher status); (arch.) to be visible; (arch.) to be seen
mass Ise pilgrimage (occurring intermittently during the Edo period)
place where the sacred palanquin is lodged during a festival
your house; your home; your husband; your organization; you
audience (with a person of high standing)
(the privilege to have) an audience (with one's lord, a dignitary, etc.); interview (with one's superior); one's debut (first) appearance; debut (of a new product, work of art, actor, etc.); trial service (of a servant)
summoning; calling; riding; (high-quality) silk crepe (fabric)
to be much obliged (to someone); to receive favor (favour); to be indebted; to be grateful
leaving; going home; quitting one's job; free time; leisure
touching a wrong card (in karuta); buzzing too early (in a quiz); making a mistress of a servant; mistress (who is one's servant)
exorcism rite; purification
declining; refusal; rejection; announcement; notice
money; coin; dough; moolah; brass
family trouble (quarrel); domestic squabble; internal squabble (over headship rights) in a daimyo family in the Edo period
unveiling; debut; introduction
portable shrine (carried in festivals); buttocks; lower back; waist
local specialty or souvenir bought as a gift while travelling; present brought by a visitor; something unpleasant that one is given (e.g. an illness while on vacation); unwelcome gift
chaperoning; monitoring someone's behaviour; watchdog; chaperone; watcher
return gift; return favour (favor); revenge; change (in a cash transaction)
congratulation; congratulations; celebration; congratulatory gift; present
official notice; Edo-period proclamation issued by the shogunate (or a daimyo, etc.) usu. to the general populace
calling on someone who is ill; enquiry; inquiry
promise; agreement; arrangement; something expected or predictable (e.g. running gag); typical or clichéd development (in a story); something considered obligatory or guaranteed (in a certain situation)
superiors; big shots; higher-ups; VIPs; dignitaries
tatami room; dinner party in a tatami room with a geisha or maiko
thankfully; fortunately; luckily; thanks to your (his, their, everyone's, etc.) kindness; thanks to your assistance; thanks to your support
having no thought for; having no consideration for; disregarding; overlooking; (arch.) being found not guilty (in an Edo-period court); (arch.) acquittal
dignitaries; very important persons; VIPs
bill (e.g. at a restaurant); check
guest; visitor; customer; client; shopper
the end; closing; being done for; that's it; that's enough; that's all
another helping; second helping; seconds; command to have dog place its second paw in one's hand
call; visit; inquiry; enquiry; question
it's none of your business; it's not your concern
presence; appearance; attendance; visit; going out
(your) judgment; discernment
holiday; day off; sleep; rest; Good night
maid; helper; help; assistance
festival; feast; carnival
oracle; revelation; divine message
cold (drinking) water; (glass of) cold water; cold boiled rice
gate for important persons; gate of honor
coming; going; being (somewhere); come; go; stay
notice or order handed down from above; announcement; notification; Edo-period proclamation issued by the shogunate (or a daimyo, etc.) to the concerned parties
fairyland; never-never land
meddling; meddlesomeness; nosiness; meddler; buttinsky; busybody
asking; enquiring; searching; looking for
ahead; before; the future
(giving) birth; childbirth; delivery; confinement
one's business; reading of scriptures before a (statue of) Buddha; bargain; discount; (arch.) money paid to a prostitute or geisha
dismissal; firing; retirement; being relieved from one's post; being relieved of a burden
Edo-period proclamation issued by the shogunate (or a daimyo, etc.) usu. to the general populace
punishment; spanking; smacking; chastisement; scolding
fortune slip (usu. bought at a shrine)
lowest-ranking guest at tea ceremony; tea master
receiving; welcoming; going to meet; final call; call of fate; approach of death
seeing through (a trick, someone's mind, etc.)
economical; bargain; good value; good-value
toilet; restroom; lavatory; bathroom
breakup (of a ceremony, wedding, party, meeting, etc.); closure
(geisha) teahouse; establishment where patrons are entertained by geisha
by any standard; (not) even as flattery
watchdog; chaperone; watcher
rice ball coated with sweetened red beans, soybean flour or sesame
Nichiren chant; (an empty) slogan
king of the hill; king of the castle; king of the mountain
small dish (usu. one of several accompanying rice); side dish; fill; fill-in (drumming); jack-off material; something to masturbate to
familiar; well-known; regular (e.g. customer); old stand-by
manners; behavior; behaviour
setting the table; laying the table; setting up; getting one's ducks in a row; running interference
next; next person; room adjoining a noble's parlor
beside a nobleman; close aid (of a nobleman, etc.); place where a high ranking person resides; one's own city (of a shogun, lord, etc.); place under one's direct control; one's own turf
tea-ceremony procedures; skill; dexterity; (arch.) you
grandmother; old woman; female senior citizen
making a person, pet, etc. wait (before being permitted to do something); postponement; putting on hold
certificate; certified document; (the) thumbs up; seal of approval; paper with signature of the shogun or lord
hand-me-down; food offering to the gods; leftovers; trip from Kyoto to the provinces
pouring alcohol; person pouring alcohol for guests or customers (typically a woman); (apprentice) geisha; dancing girl
round, wooden container for cooked rice
treasure; picture of a treasure ship; money; cash
visit (to a shrine, grave, etc.); worship
New Year (esp. first three days); first month of the year; January
perfect; just right; ideal
year-end gift; end of the year; year end
lunch; noon; midday; daytime; waking up; getting up
to like; to prefer; to be pleased by
travelling incognito (traveling); special palanquin for carrying a daimyo or his wife incognito
charge (e.g. admission, menu item); cost; price
appetizer; starter; hors d'oeuvre
person who gets easily elated (when praised, etc.); person who readily chimes in with others; person who gets carried away easily
cremated remains (esp. the bones); ashes
to die; to decease; to perish; to pass away
court of law in the Edo period, in which the parties sat on white sand
mutually; with each other; reciprocally; together; both
O-Bon; Obon; Bon Festival; tray
special; auspicious; happy; naive; innocent; good-natured
sharing with others what has been given to you; sharing a portion of the profit with others
alms-giving; charity; offerings (usu. money) to a priest (for reading sutras, etc.); financially supporting one's favorite celebrity (by buying merchandise, attending events, etc.)
entertainment; hospitality; banishment (Edo period)
personal meeting (esp. used by females)
road for persons of high rank
being together; going together; matching (clothing); going together
water; (drinking) water; night entertainment business; nightlife worker; racy; titillating
telephone call; telephone (device)
baggage; luggage; burden; albatross around one's neck; excess baggage
field of flowers; flower garden; flower bed; field of alpine flowers
failing to recognize someone; underestimation
being postponed; being shelved; being put on hold; putting in storage; thing put in storage
soup containing rice cakes and vegetables (New Year's dish)
thanks for taking care of me; thanks for taking care of my loved one
Jersey cudweed (species of cottonweed, Gnaphalium affine)
smartly dressed; stylish; someone smartly dressed; to dress up; to be fashionable
favorite; favourite; pet (e.g. teacher's pet); bookmark (in web browser)
last drink (of sake); last glass; last cup
good-naturedness; good-natured person; credulous person; easy mark
graceful; ladylike; modest; gentle; polite; quiet
change (for a purchase); toilet splashback
decorations; offerings; mere window dressing
perfunctory; apathetic; makeshift; slapdash; routine; usual
none of your business!; don't bother me!; keep out of it!
compliments; civilities; hospitality; special treatment; bill (at a restaurant); check
Japanese style of calligraphy based on the gyōsho style popular in the Edo period
older sister; elder sister; young lady; miss; ma'am; older girl
thanks (for coming, helping, etc.); glad you could make it; tiredness; fatigue
grandmother; old woman; female senior citizen
good luck charm; uttered when using magic; abracadabra; presto
thin rice porridge; watery cooked rice; rice gruel; congee
oden; dish of various ingredients, e.g. egg, daikon, potato, chikuwa, konnyaku, etc. stewed in soy-flavored dashi
comical (story, song); comic; the comedy business (rakugo, manzai, etc.); something laughable
uniforms supplied to employees; an allotment
beanbag; beanbag juggling game; bobbling the ball
departure; leaving; starting; standing
cake or snack served with tea
ochazuke; rice with tea poured on it
self-aggrandizement under pretense of aiding another (aggrandisement, pretence)
visiting a shrine or temple to give thanks; settling scores
it's my turn; the ball is in my court; it's up to me
covering used to wrap a baby
door separating the inner castle from the outer castle (Edo period)
annual New Year's poetry reading (held at the Imperial Court)
leaving a decision to someone else (often of a meal to be selected by the chef); omakase
onigiri; rice ball (often triangular, sometimes with a filling and wrapped in nori)
well-matched (esp. of a couple); becoming; suitable
sleepover; overnight stay
(for the) first time; something used (worn, etc.) for the first time; new item; first of the season (crop, fruit, etc.)
delivery (of a package, goods, etc.)
broth; soup (esp. miso soup)
please don't fuss over me; don't go to any trouble; don't bother
pot; volcanic crater; (one's) buttocks; male homosexual; effeminate man
let's see what you've got; show me what you've got
scolding; telling-off; rebuke; lecture
lord; nobleman; daimyō; dignitary; master
regular customer; valued client
barking up the wrong tree; calling at the wrong house
all-night vigil over a body; wake
one's parents' home; one's origins; one's upbringing; one's past
ladle; tadpole; musical note
glutinous rice steamed with red beans or some other ingredient; (arch.) trickery; (arch.) deception
Buddha; Shakyamuni; the historical Buddha (5th c. BCE?)
mid-year gift; summer gift
one's specialty; one's forte; specialty of a kabuki school
usual; normal; stereotyped
hundred times worship (e.g. walking back and forth a hundred times before a shrine offering a prayer each time)
cinch; pushover; easy matter; light snack; cake served with tea
to visit repeatedly (to request)
(Nichiren Buddhism) memorial service for Nichiren (13th day of 10th month)
honorific or polite prefix
(high-quality) silk crepe (fabric)
thank you for your hard work; good work; see you; goodbye; goodnight
guest; visitor; customer; client; shopper
brow; forehead; prominent forehead; beetle brow; not catching anything (in fishing)
carrying a person in one's arms; princess carry; bridal carry
being done for; giving up; being in a hopeless situation; not knowing what to do; being brought to one's knees; (lit.) throwing up (one's) hands
personal (employee); employed; retained
gently; mildly; leniently; don't be too hard on me (us, them); go easy on me
one's speciality; one's forte; one's strong point
bedpan; chamber pot; potty
New Year's gift (usu. money given to a child by relatives and visitors)
one's favourite party trick (favorite); one's specialty; one's forte
son (of others); boy; young master; green young man from a well-to-do family; young man innocent of the ways of the world
used article (esp. clothes)
one person; one customer; unmarried and childless older woman
poor; unsatisfactory; inadequate; cold; chilly
discarding; firing (an employee)
little something; reward; tip
It's a piece of cake; It's a simple task; It's a cinch
osechi; osechi-ryōri; traditional food eaten during the New Year's holidays
display of dolls during Hinamatsuri; Hinamatsuri (March 3); Girls' Festival; Dolls' Festival
poorly made article; defective article; Gautama Buddha
bureaucratic routine; red tape
tearjerker; sob story; maudlin tale
passing away; dying; death
very common way of tying a woman's kimono sash
lecture (i.e. an admonishment); sermon
merchant house employee; tradesman
water-drawing ceremony (performed at Tōdaiji on March 13); rite of drawing sacred water
the founder of our sect (esp. in reference to Nichiren)
ridged cracks that form in the ice on Lake Suwa
Kyoto area festival held on the 11th lunar month (wherein bonfires are burned at shrines)
sitting between the host and guest of honour at a drinking party (honor); companion
grandfather; male senior-citizen
recommendation; advice; suggestion; encouragement
association; socializing; socialising; fellowship
enjoyment; pleasure; diversion; amusement; hobby
freebie (e.g. with a purchase); something additional; price reduction; discount; exaggeration
about to start out; just about to leave or go out; outing; trip
we are of equal status in this regard; we are in the same boat; the same to you; the feeling is mutual
excuse me for disturbing (interrupting) you; greeting used when entering someone's home
pot; (arch.) typical name for a female servant in the Edo-period; working at night; female with symptoms of gender identity disorder (e.g. a transvestite)
festival merrymaking; revelry
son (of others); boy; young master; green young man from a well-to-do family; young man innocent of the ways of the world
well-behaved (esp. children and pets); obedient; good
diaper; nappy; (arch.) swaddling clothes; (arch.) loincloth
pity; sympathy; compassion; affection; love
policeman; cop; walking in a circle (dog trick); (arch.) rounds (doctor, police beat, etc.); (arch.) vegetables that accompany rice (secret language of court ladies)
acquaintance; making someone's acquaintance
someone who gets in the way without serving any useful purpose; fly in the ointment; buttinsky; third wheel
to come; to go; to be (somewhere); -ing
Inari (god of harvests, wealth, fertility, etc.); Inari shrine; inarizushi (sushi wrapped in fried tofu); scrotum; testicle sack
sorry to bother you, but ...
pickled vegetables; pickles
changing one's clothes; a change of clothes
senior female worker who supervises junior employees in a domineering fashion
buttocks; lower back; waist; kimono underskirt
needlework; sewing; seamstress
money-saving feeling; bargain feeling
happy-go-lucky person; dreamer; (lit.) intracranial flower garden
one's forte; strong point; specialty; speciality
northern groundcone (Boschniakia rossica)
kerchief worn by women in former times in Japan in cold weather, covering the whole head (except eyes)
(arch.) court lady with her own private chamber or office; low-class prostitute (Edo period)
it's nothing; don't mention it; no thanks necessary
merchant's home (esp. used by apprentices, etc.); (your) rental home
privy purse; money used for private purposes by the members of the Imperial family
making arbitrary decisions which benefit oneself; self-approved plan
dumpling cooked in miso served during the dog days of summer at the imperial court; (arch.) accompaniments for a rice dish; (arch.) wooden pestle; (arch.) menstrual period
annual ceremony of reciting the names of the Buddhas
(one's) older brother; lad; sonny
older brother; elder brother; young man; buddy; fella
congratulations!; well done!; best wishes!; all the best!
it's been a long time; long time no see
to take a bath; to have a bath; to take a shower
between-meal snack; mid-afternoon (around 3 o'clock) snack; afternoon refreshment; afternoon tea
sit down; sit up; Sit! (to a dog)
standard; set; routine; decided
okonomiyaki; savoury pancake containing meat or seafood and vegetables
(next-door) neighbour; neighbor
long-awaited; long-waited-for; someone who has waited a long time; something that one has waited impatiently for
silly person; dumb-bunny; dope
bill (at a restaurant); check
drawing; painting; doodling; sketching
I'm sorry to have kept you waiting
osechi; food eaten during the New Year's Holidays
Buddhist priest; monk; son (of others)
person sought by the police; wanted person; fugitive from justice
to get change back; to be more than enough
wheat gluten (usu. steamed or baked)
bargain; good buy; budget
that's too bad; too bad for you!
serving tea (esp. at a company); tea server; tea lady
unasked for; unnecessary; uninvolved
cancellation; abandonment
tooth blackening; tooth-blackening dye
changing one's dress (e.g. at the wedding reception)
unasked for; unnecessary; uninvolved
fish served whole (complete with head and tail)
to beat someone at their own game; to outdo someone in their specialty
to have to wait (for the realization of something hoped for); to be forced to postpone
Balcony of Appearances; balcony where the imperial family appears before the public; (sports) interview platform; winner's platform; dancing platform (in a disco)
burnt rice; scorched rice; crispy rice at bottom of cooking pan; woman who hangs out with gay men
aburaage; thin deep-fried slices of tofu
trip story; vacation story
to be recognized (by someone of higher status); to be noticed; to get attention
to reveal one's (poor) upbringing (through poor manners, etc.); to betray one's origin; to give oneself away
bowel movement; evacuation
gift received from a visitor (usu. used when offering the visitor to partake of part of that gift)
the customer is always right; the customer is king
New Year's sake; spiced sake
Buddha; Shakyamuni; the historical Buddha (5th c. BCE?)
boasting of one's hometown
local dialect; vernacular; provincialism
miyamairi; newborn child's first visit to a shrine (within about 30 days of being born); visiting a shrine
scolding; telling-off; talking-to; dressing-down
(for one's turn) to come round
to have to wait (for the realization of something hoped for); to be forced to postpone
e-mail notice of rejection (for a job application)
a recommendation; an order
your address; your place of residence
please understand that...; please bear in mind that ...
afternoon snack (eaten around 3 o'clock); afternoon tea
(private) geisha entertainment; being entertained by one or more geisha (in a tea house or traditional Japanese restaurant)
ghost story; spooky story
oden made with hatcho miso
to be invited (often to perform for an audience); to be called
Imperial train; royal train
hired foreigner; foreign advisor hired by the Japanese government for their specialized knowledge to assist in the modernization of Japan at the end of the Bakufu and during the Meiji Era
flunky; cat's-paw; tool; person whose services are at the disposal of another
cloth diaper; cloth nappy
dining table; (arch.) cooked rice
free service after one has finished one's apprenticeship
goods to offer the junk dealer
please make yourself comfortable; please relax your sitting position
moody person; temperamental person; fickle person
very common way of tying a woman's kimono sash
rice cracker; senbei; Japanese cracker
sitting on the floor with one's legs tucked under to one side
to perform anal sex (between men); to bugger; to sodomize; to crash a car into the back of another (usu. used in the passive voice); to rear-end
that's none of your business
snoop; meddler; nosey parker; buttinsky; kibbitzer
article offered at a bargain price (mainly of imperfect produce)
my lord; my master; one's own lord; one's own master
daikon, etc. trimmings, usu. added to rice
to be blown inside out (of an umbrella); (lit.) to become (the shape of) a sake cup
dashi (Japanese soup stock made from fish and kelp)
Annunciation Day; Lady Day
shooting a fleeing target (usu. animal) from horseback
offering to Buddha (often rice)
Japanese sweets made with glutinous rice and azuki bean paste
gift received from a visitor (usu. used when offering the visitor to partake of part of that gift)
female usher at traditional Kansai theatrical events
even the gods drink sake; there's nothing wrong with drinking
broth; soup (esp. miso soup)
to stand high in one's superior's favor and trust
to flatter a higher-up; (lit.) to brush the dirt from a beard
Omuro (sect of Shingon Buddhism)
condolence gift; gift brought to a (Christian) funeral; flower money
portable shrine used to transport a sacred object
dining table; (arch.) cooked rice
shrine ritual held with the first two months of the year to forecast (or pray for) a successful harvest; seasonal planting of rice on a field affiliated with a shrine
to flatter a higher-up; to suck up to; to curry favour; (lit.) to brush the dirt from a beard
special palanquin for carrying a daimyo or his wife incognito
to make matters worse; besides; what's more; in addition; on top of that
chattering; talk; idle talk; chatty; talkative; chatterbox
wearing one's hair in braids
boiled greens in bonito-flavoured soy sauce (vegetable side dish)
wrapped offering (of money)
mochi cut thin, dried, and baked or fried
Kyoto-style side dish; meal of side dishes
granny; grandma; gran; old lady; old woman
ghost; apparition; goblin; monster; something unusually large
begging; pestering; pleading; coaxing
rice cakes; pounded mochi rice
wet towel (supplied at table); hot, moistened hand towel
snack (to have with a drink); side dish
please sit down; please have a seat
precocious; precocious child
ohajiki; traditional Japanese children's game similar to marbles, played with coin-shaped pieces made of coloured glass or plastic
okara; soy pulp; tofu dregs; edible pulp separated from soybean milk in the production of tofu
(someone's) assistance; help; aid; grace (of God); benevolence (of Buddha); blessing
primness; prim person; clear soup
oyaki; fried round wheat or buckwheat flour cake with various fillings; imagawayaki; thick pancake containing bean jam, served hot
kitchen maid; kitchen duties; cooking
mimosa (Mimosa pudica); sensitive plant; touch-me-not
Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng)
pert; tomboyish; impudent; lively; boisterous
(woman's) ugly or homely face; old bag
Calopteryx atrata (species of damselfly)
kitchen maid; kitchen duties; cooking
alpine accentor (Prunella collaris)
starchy solution formed during rice cooking
camel cricket (Diestrammena apicalis); camelback cricket; cave cricket; spider cricket
mind your own business!; keep out of it!
another's wife; another's daughter
private koyomi published illegally (Edo period)
another's wife or daughter
please allow me to introduce myself