Definitions

Many terms and concepts that are not commonly used outside of Japan come up in my books. I've listed them here, as well as in the front of some of the books, to clarify. (This list will be updated as needed.) Last Update: 5/14/26

 

Amaterasu – the Japanese kami (goddess) of the sun and the universe; a major Shinto deity

Anaguma – badger

Bakeneko – literally “changed cat,” a type of yokai (supernatural entity)

Baku – yokai that can devour nightmares (dream eater)

Bento – single portion take-out or home-packed meal. A bento box = a lunch box.

Chantico – Aztec goddess of fire and volcanoes

Great Assembly/Divine Assembly – a meeting of the kami (gods); gods from other parts of the world and other supernatural beings can attend as well

Hephaestus – Greek god of fire, volcanoes, and blacksmiths

Hokkaido inu – one of the oldest and wildest dogs of Japanese descent, typically tasked with guarding and hunting

Inari – the Japanese kami (god) of foxes, fertility, prosperity, success, rice, tea, and sake. May appear male, female, or androgynous, and is referred to as male or female interchangeably.

Inugami – a dog yokai

Iskananza – “death flower,” only grows in Yomi, its seeds have many spiritual uses

Izanami – (she who invites) a kami of both creation and death, as well as the former wife of the kami Izanagi (he who invites). They created the islands of Japan and begat many of the deities in Shinto.

Jami – a mountain spirit

Jorogumo – spider yokai

Josei – manga genre aimed at adult women

Jubokko – literally “vampire tree,” a spirit tree that lives off human blood

Kagu-tsuchi – kami of fire, patron of blacksmiths; associated with volcanoes, father of many war gods and mountain gods

Kami – a god or spirit, worshipped in the Japanese tradition of Shinto

Kanji – characters of the Japanese writing system

Kanzashi – Japanese hair ornaments

Kappa – child-sized reptilian creatures with webbed hands and feet; trickster figures. Their tricks can be harmless (farting) or terrible (drowning, rape).

Katana – the traditional sword of samurai in feudal Japan

Kimono – a long, loose robe with wide sleeves and tied with a sash

Kitsune-tsukai – literally, fox witch. These witches gain the favor of kitsune by bribing them with food and then making deals with them.

Kitsune – a fox spirit with transmutation abilities

Kodama – tree spirits

Kodoku – a type of poisonous magic; venomous insects or creatures are kept in a jar until only one survives; the fluid from the jar can be used as poison, to either curse or kill a victim

Kojin – kami of fire

Manzoku-Inari – literally “Fulfillment Inari”; another name for Inari, here used as an alias

Miasma – a poisonous atmosphere or influence; an often noxious, obscuring emanation

Nekomata – a cat yokai with multiple tails

Neraida – Greek word for fey

Ningyo – literally “fish human,” Japanese equivalent of a mermaid

Obake – shapeshifting spirit

Ofuda – a white strip of paper with something sacred written upon it; used as a talisman for protection or blessing

Okami – a wolf spirit

Okuninushi – kami of love and marriage

Onamori – talisman or amulet sold at Shinto temples; bring luck or protection

Oni – demon

Poison Fire Coral – informal name for Podostroma cornu-damae, a highly toxic mushroom, which has caused numerous accidental fatalities in Japan

Prefecture – one of the 47 areas of jurisdiction in Japan

Red string of fate – concept similar to soul mates, a red string ties two people who are destined to meet

Rokushakubō – a six-foot long staff weapon

Ryujin – the dragon king or dragon god; a kami of the sea

Saisen-bako – a wooden coin box, with a grate for the top cover; found in temples and shrines and used to collect offerings to the gods

Sakaki – a flowering evergreen tree, considered sacred in Shinto

Sake – sometimes called “rice wine”; a Japanese alcoholic beverage made from fermented rice

Sakura – can refer to both blossoming cherry trees and the actual cherry blossoms

San – the most common Japanese honorific (like Mr. or Ms. in English) used as a show of respect between people of any gender or age. It is attached to the individual’s given name or surname, in accordance with the familiarity of the relationship.

Seme – term used in yaoi, the dominant partner in a sexual relationship

Sensei – “teacher,” used as an honorific (like Mr. in English) after someone’s name (example: Kitamura-sensei) or as a stand-alone title to show respect to one who has achieved a certain level of mastery in a particular field. You only use the first name if the relationship is a close/familiar one.

Shadow demon – a being that was so evil it is not allowed to have a physical form in the afterlife

Shibari – a Western word to describe the art of Kinbaku, Japanese rope bondage. The submissive is tied with thin ropes in a typically intricate pattern.

Shinden-zukuri – traditional house style in Japan; different rooms are connected by long hallways and small courtyard-like areas exist within the squares formed by this structure. Rock gardens, fountains, or undeveloped grassy areas fill these open spaces.

Shinigami – death spirit

Shinto – the traditional, indigenous religion of Japan

Shrine – a building or space intended to house, or enshrine, a kami. Roughly one-third of the shrines in Japan are for Inari (over 30,000).

Shoujo – this word means “young woman” in Japanese, and manga under this label are targeted for a teenage female readership

Shudo – a samurai custom in which adult samurai engaged in sexual relationships with younger samurai. While this mentor relationship was temporary, it often led to a lifelong bond of brotherhood.

Sukuna – kami of healing, patron of hot springs

Tengu – a bird-like yokai

Tenka – ghost lights; atmospheric disturbances

Tenshu – highest tower of a Japanese-style castle

Tochigami – land god, the guardian deity of an area

Torii – a traditional gate found at Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples; marks the transition from the profane to the sacred

Uke – term used in yaoi, the more passive partner in a sexual relationship

Umanori – traditional Japanese garment, usually worn over a short kimono and divided like trousers

Umibozu – a sea spirit with a reputation for sinking ships

Urabandai – the “lake district” of Japan, where there are hundreds of lakes and marshes of various sizes

UTokyo / Todai – common abbreviations for the University of Tokyo (Tokyo daigaku)

Yaoi – aka Boys’ Love or Shonen-ai in Japan; a Japanese fiction genre focusing on gay relationships and aimed at a predominantly female audience

Yakuza – members of organized crime syndicates in Japan

Yokai – generic, broad term for any supernatural entity or spirit

Yomi – land of the dead in the Shinto tradition, where the deceased rot indefinitely

Yosei – Japanese word for fey or fairy