GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Ashigaru: Foot soldier, spearman.
Bakemono: Minor evil spirit, goblin.
Bikuni or Utabikuni: Travelling preaching nun.
Biwa: Flute.
Bokken: Wooden practice sword.
Bu: Short for "ichi-bu", or weight of silver; silver coin worth 10 zeni strings. Five bu make a ryo (or koku). Looks like a rectangular silver tile, about 20 mm by 25 mm.
Bugaku: Court dancing.
Bugyo: Magistrate.
Bunraku: Puppet theater.
Bureli: Burrowing wasp with biting mandibles and a stinger, about four inches (10 cm) long.
Bushi: Warrior of the samurai caste. Bushi are trained in the use of weapons and the ways of battle from childhood.
Champion: The Clan Champion is the Daimyo of the leading family of a clan, and therefore of the entire clan.
-chan: "Little one", suffix added to the name of a child or lover, term of endearment (e.g., Mariko-chan).
Chi: Energy or life force. Chi can be found in special places, flows through the earth and through the bodies of living beings, and can be shaped by powerful beings through sorcery, the self-discipline of martial arts, willpower, or innate powers.
Cho: Small district or neighbourhood of a city. There are about 300 cho in Otosan Uchi, Rokugan's capital.
Chonin: "Townsmen;" merchants and artisans living in the city but not of samurai class.
Chonmage: Samurai's topknot.
Chui: Military rank roughly equivalent to lieutenant.
Daimyo: Head of a noble family line or clan; lord.
Daisho: A samurai's two swords (katana and wakizashi). It is treasonous and blasphemy for any but samurai to wear the daisho.
-dono: Suffix added as an honorific when referring to one's own lord.
Doro: Road.
Emerald Champion: The foremost magistrate of the empire, answering to the Emperor himself.
Eta: "Non-human", lowest caste, tasked with handling the dead, picking up refuse, etc.
Fortunes and Winds: A dice game.
Four Seasons: A poker-like tile game we know as Mah-Jongg.
Furoshiki: Travel bag.
Geisha: Trained courtesan.
Gempukku: Coming of age ceremony for a samurai (bushi or shugenja).
Geta: Heavy clog-like sandals worn outside.
Go: Game played on a board like checkers.
-gozen: Title added to a married noble lady's name (e.g., the famous female samurai Tomoe-gozen).
Gunso: Military rank roughly equivalent to sergeant.
Haiku: 17-syllable poem (5-7-5), often with themes from nature, always with a reference to the seasons.
Hakama: Long and wide pants of the samurai, part of ceremonial dress.
Hanri: Unit of distance equal to half a ri (= 1.22 miles or 2 km).
Hanto: Peninsula.
Haori: Vest worn over a man's kimono in formal dress, making the shoulders wider.
Hashi: Bridge.
Heigen: Plains.
Heimin: The middle-class caste comprising farmers, clergy, artisans, and merchants. This is the caste situated below the samurai. The farmers occupy the highest heimin rank, followed by artisans, with merchants (who produce nothing but take a profit from the work of others) at the bottom. Clergy is sort of parallel to that sequence rather than in it.
Hidari: Left.
Higashi: East.
Hime: Princess/young lady of noble birth.
Himesama: Daughter of a nobleman.
Hinin: The lower caste comprising teachers, actors, performers, and geisha. Situated below the heimin.
Iaijutsu: Fast-draw technique of one-strike duel. A fast draw is called an iai draw.
Ikebana: Flower arrangement.
Itachi: Weasel, mink, stoat, ermine.
Itsutsu: Five (5).
Itsutsu-toe: Fifty (50).
Jigoku: The afterlife, spirit realm.
Jiujutsu: Martial art (wrestling) based on flexibility.
Junshin: Pure, sincere (used derisively by the Scorpion to mean naive, gullible).
Kabuto: Helmet.
Kago: Palanquin carried on a pole by two bearers.
Kami-shimo: Samurai's elegant dress, with the combination of vest (haori) and wide pants (hakama).
Katana: The longer (24 to 30 in. curved blade) and most important of a bushi's two swords (daisho). The katana is the soul of a samurai. To loose it is to loose oneself.
Kawa: River.
Kendo: Art of the sword practiced with wooden or bamboo swords.
Kenjutsu: Swordsmanship.
Ki: Chi, life force, spiritual energy.
Kisho: Privacy screen.
Kita: North.
Koku: Enough rice to feed one person for a year (approx. 180 L, 5 bushels, or 10 cubic feet). The coin of that value (on average harvest years) is a ryo. One koku's worth is equivalent to 5 bu.
Kokyu: Small stringed instrument played with a bow and held upright, somewhat like a cello.
Koto: Stringed instrument held horizontally and plucked.
Kutsukutsuboushi: type of cicada.
Kuwaga: A type of pine, the largest of Rokugani trees; grows to a hundred feet (30 m) high with its branches flat, fanning out like ferns. Sheds it blue needles twice a year; the resin can be used to make a highly incendiary substance called "Isawa's Fire."
Kyuden: Palace.
Kyujutsu: Archery.
Maedate: Helmet crest.
Magistrate: Combination police captain/investigator/judge.
Maho: Dark magic, based on blood rituals.
Mamori: A magical ward to protect a home from spirits.
Masu: Measure/unit of volume ( approx 3 pints / 1.8 L).
Meijin: Master of an art.
Metsuke: The Emerald Champion's spies.
Michi: Path.
Migi: Right.
Minami: South.
Mizu-umi: Lake.
Mon: Emblem, heraldic device.
Mori: Forest.
Mura: Village.
Ninja: Mythical assassins with quasi-magical powers. Of course, there is no such thing as a ninja.
Nishi: West.
Nikutai: military rank roughly equivalent to corporal.
No or Noh: Classic theater.
No-dachi: Two handed sword, carried on one's back, can measure 5 feet from end to end.
Numachi: Swamp.
Oban: Large coin equivalent to 40 koku, a heavy disk of gold.
Obi: A woman's wide sash, worn over the long kimono.
O-jii-san or Ojiisan, or Jiisan: 'Old man' or 'grandfather' (term of address).
Okasan: Mother; sometimes used for head of a geisha house, madame.
Okusama: Polite term of address for wife/your wife/his wife, married lady, madam.
Okusan: Honorific for wife/your wife/his wife, married lady, madam.
Oni: Demon.
Onnamusha: Female warrior.
Otosan or Otousan: Father.
Oyabun: Boss.
Reifujin: Mrs., Lady, Madam, your wife.
Reihaido: Shrine.
Ri: Unit of distance equal to 3.9 km or 2.4 miles.
Roka: Mountain pass.
Ronin: "Wave man", masterless samurai.
Ryo: Coin about equivalent to one koku's worth (on average harvest years); worth 5 bu. Looks like a thick flat oval plate of gold, about 65 mm by 40 by 8.
Ryu: Dragon.
Saké: Rice wine.
-sama: "lord", honorific suffix added for someone of higher station (e.g., Togashi-sama). Can also be used by itself as a title of address (e.g., "Yes, sama.").
Samisen: Stringed instrument held like a guitar or lute.
Samurai: The warrior caste; includes both bushi and shugenja.
-san: Honorific suffix added for someone of equal station (e.g., Ishi-san).
Se: Area measure, approximately 100 square meters/30 tsubo.
Sennin: Hermit.
Senryu: 17-syllable humorous or satirical verse.
Sensei: Title of respect for a master/teacher, especially a martial arts master.
Seppuku: Ritual suicide.
Shaku: Measure of distance roughly equivalent to 1 foot (30 cm).
Shikibu: Dame, lady; honorific title for a high-born noblewoman, added after the name (e.g., the famous novelist Murasaki Shikibu).
Shinden: Temple.
Shintao: The Way of Shinsei; study of Shinsei's teachings.
Shiro: Castle.
Shogi: Chess-like game.
Shoji: Sliding screen or wall made of paper on a wooden frame.
Shoju or Soju, or Shochu: Distilled liquor made of sweat potatoes, wheat, and/or millet (cheap and potent).
Shugenja: Both sorcerer and priest.
Sumi-e: Calligraphy set.
Sumo: Wrestling based on strength and weight.
Sugoroku: Board game similar to backgammon.
Tabi: Short socks worn with sandals.
Taiko: Ceremonial temple drum, varying in size but going from large to huge.
Tanto: Dagger with a guard. Usually matches the daisho in fancy sets. About 12 in. long.
Tatami: Sleeping mat.
Tatetsubo: Unit of volume, about 1.8 meters cubed or 100 to.
Tenji: Maid of honor, lady in waiting.
Tetsu Tsuru: "Iron Crane" - Nickname of the Crab for the Daidoji family.
To: A measure of volume; 18 litres or 10 masu.
Toe: Ten (10).
Toji: Lady, matron, mistress, housekeeper.
Tokkuri: Small-necked sake bottle.
Tokonoma: An alcove in which the family's treasures are placed.
Tomo-dachi: "good friends"; mixed plum brandy and saké.
Tono: Term of address for one's own lord.
Torid-e: Keep or fort.
Torii: Sacred gate placed near shrines and temples; passing under the torii allows cleansing of the spirit.
Toshi: City.
Tsu: Brilliant blue fish-like amphibian with iridescent emerald fins and tails, weighing up to 60 lbs (28 kg); their eggs are a rare delicacy .
Tsubo: unit of area, equal to 3.95 square yards or 3.31 square meters.
Uchikake: Long garment worn by women over their kimono.
Ukiyo-e: "Pictures of the floating world"; images of frivolous subjects e.g., portraits of famous actors and courtesans, images of popular places, fashion plates.
Ume-shu: Plum "wine"; actually a plum brandy.
Wan: Bay.
Wul: Plant used as animal fodder and, when specially treated, as armour padding. Similar to corn or wheat, grows to a height of three feet (one meter) and is orange in color, with large kernels that are sometimes used to make dice.
Yama: Mountain.
Yari: Spear.
Yashiki: Town manor or estate of a daimyo.
Yojimbo: Bodyguard.
Yoriki: Roughly equivalent to police lieutenant, magistrate's assistant.
Wagakimi: My lord.
Wakizashi: The shorter of a bushi's two swords (approx. 18 in.); with the Katana creates the Daisho (paired set).
Zeni: Copper coin. Ten zeni strings make a bu. For smaller denomination, the packages of zeni can be opened and the small copper pieces inside are used individually. However, most zeni strings (or wrapped packages) are never opened; the seal on them is a garantee that they have not been tampered with. A standard string contains 100 thin copper pieces, about 20 mm in diameter.
Zori: Sandals made of straw.
Ashigaru: Foot soldier, spearman.
Bakemono: Minor evil spirit, goblin.
Bikuni or Utabikuni: Travelling preaching nun.
Biwa: Flute.
Bokken: Wooden practice sword.
Bu: Short for "ichi-bu", or weight of silver; silver coin worth 10 zeni strings. Five bu make a ryo (or koku). Looks like a rectangular silver tile, about 20 mm by 25 mm.
Bugaku: Court dancing.
Bugyo: Magistrate.
Bunraku: Puppet theater.
Bureli: Burrowing wasp with biting mandibles and a stinger, about four inches (10 cm) long.
Bushi: Warrior of the samurai caste. Bushi are trained in the use of weapons and the ways of battle from childhood.
Champion: The Clan Champion is the Daimyo of the leading family of a clan, and therefore of the entire clan.
-chan: "Little one", suffix added to the name of a child or lover, term of endearment (e.g., Mariko-chan).
Chi: Energy or life force. Chi can be found in special places, flows through the earth and through the bodies of living beings, and can be shaped by powerful beings through sorcery, the self-discipline of martial arts, willpower, or innate powers.
Cho: Small district or neighbourhood of a city. There are about 300 cho in Otosan Uchi, Rokugan's capital.
Chonin: "Townsmen;" merchants and artisans living in the city but not of samurai class.
Chonmage: Samurai's topknot.
Chui: Military rank roughly equivalent to lieutenant.
Daimyo: Head of a noble family line or clan; lord.
Daisho: A samurai's two swords (katana and wakizashi). It is treasonous and blasphemy for any but samurai to wear the daisho.
-dono: Suffix added as an honorific when referring to one's own lord.
Doro: Road.
Emerald Champion: The foremost magistrate of the empire, answering to the Emperor himself.
Eta: "Non-human", lowest caste, tasked with handling the dead, picking up refuse, etc.
Fortunes and Winds: A dice game.
Four Seasons: A poker-like tile game we know as Mah-Jongg.
Furoshiki: Travel bag.
Geisha: Trained courtesan.
Gempukku: Coming of age ceremony for a samurai (bushi or shugenja).
Geta: Heavy clog-like sandals worn outside.
Go: Game played on a board like checkers.
-gozen: Title added to a married noble lady's name (e.g., the famous female samurai Tomoe-gozen).
Gunso: Military rank roughly equivalent to sergeant.
Haiku: 17-syllable poem (5-7-5), often with themes from nature, always with a reference to the seasons.
Hakama: Long and wide pants of the samurai, part of ceremonial dress.
Hanri: Unit of distance equal to half a ri (= 1.22 miles or 2 km).
Hanto: Peninsula.
Haori: Vest worn over a man's kimono in formal dress, making the shoulders wider.
Hashi: Bridge.
Heigen: Plains.
Heimin: The middle-class caste comprising farmers, clergy, artisans, and merchants. This is the caste situated below the samurai. The farmers occupy the highest heimin rank, followed by artisans, with merchants (who produce nothing but take a profit from the work of others) at the bottom. Clergy is sort of parallel to that sequence rather than in it.
Hidari: Left.
Higashi: East.
Hime: Princess/young lady of noble birth.
Himesama: Daughter of a nobleman.
Hinin: The lower caste comprising teachers, actors, performers, and geisha. Situated below the heimin.
Iaijutsu: Fast-draw technique of one-strike duel. A fast draw is called an iai draw.
Ikebana: Flower arrangement.
Itachi: Weasel, mink, stoat, ermine.
Itsutsu: Five (5).
Itsutsu-toe: Fifty (50).
Jigoku: The afterlife, spirit realm.
Jiujutsu: Martial art (wrestling) based on flexibility.
Junshin: Pure, sincere (used derisively by the Scorpion to mean naive, gullible).
Kabuto: Helmet.
Kago: Palanquin carried on a pole by two bearers.
Kami-shimo: Samurai's elegant dress, with the combination of vest (haori) and wide pants (hakama).
Katana: The longer (24 to 30 in. curved blade) and most important of a bushi's two swords (daisho). The katana is the soul of a samurai. To loose it is to loose oneself.
Kawa: River.
Kendo: Art of the sword practiced with wooden or bamboo swords.
Kenjutsu: Swordsmanship.
Ki: Chi, life force, spiritual energy.
Kisho: Privacy screen.
Kita: North.
Koku: Enough rice to feed one person for a year (approx. 180 L, 5 bushels, or 10 cubic feet). The coin of that value (on average harvest years) is a ryo. One koku's worth is equivalent to 5 bu.
Kokyu: Small stringed instrument played with a bow and held upright, somewhat like a cello.
Koto: Stringed instrument held horizontally and plucked.
Kutsukutsuboushi: type of cicada.
Kuwaga: A type of pine, the largest of Rokugani trees; grows to a hundred feet (30 m) high with its branches flat, fanning out like ferns. Sheds it blue needles twice a year; the resin can be used to make a highly incendiary substance called "Isawa's Fire."
Kyuden: Palace.
Kyujutsu: Archery.
Maedate: Helmet crest.
Magistrate: Combination police captain/investigator/judge.
Maho: Dark magic, based on blood rituals.
Mamori: A magical ward to protect a home from spirits.
Masu: Measure/unit of volume ( approx 3 pints / 1.8 L).
Meijin: Master of an art.
Metsuke: The Emerald Champion's spies.
Michi: Path.
Migi: Right.
Minami: South.
Mizu-umi: Lake.
Mon: Emblem, heraldic device.
Mori: Forest.
Mura: Village.
Ninja: Mythical assassins with quasi-magical powers. Of course, there is no such thing as a ninja.
Nishi: West.
Nikutai: military rank roughly equivalent to corporal.
No or Noh: Classic theater.
No-dachi: Two handed sword, carried on one's back, can measure 5 feet from end to end.
Numachi: Swamp.
Oban: Large coin equivalent to 40 koku, a heavy disk of gold.
Obi: A woman's wide sash, worn over the long kimono.
O-jii-san or Ojiisan, or Jiisan: 'Old man' or 'grandfather' (term of address).
Okasan: Mother; sometimes used for head of a geisha house, madame.
Okusama: Polite term of address for wife/your wife/his wife, married lady, madam.
Okusan: Honorific for wife/your wife/his wife, married lady, madam.
Oni: Demon.
Onnamusha: Female warrior.
Otosan or Otousan: Father.
Oyabun: Boss.
Reifujin: Mrs., Lady, Madam, your wife.
Reihaido: Shrine.
Ri: Unit of distance equal to 3.9 km or 2.4 miles.
Roka: Mountain pass.
Ronin: "Wave man", masterless samurai.
Ryo: Coin about equivalent to one koku's worth (on average harvest years); worth 5 bu. Looks like a thick flat oval plate of gold, about 65 mm by 40 by 8.
Ryu: Dragon.
Saké: Rice wine.
-sama: "lord", honorific suffix added for someone of higher station (e.g., Togashi-sama). Can also be used by itself as a title of address (e.g., "Yes, sama.").
Samisen: Stringed instrument held like a guitar or lute.
Samurai: The warrior caste; includes both bushi and shugenja.
-san: Honorific suffix added for someone of equal station (e.g., Ishi-san).
Se: Area measure, approximately 100 square meters/30 tsubo.
Sennin: Hermit.
Senryu: 17-syllable humorous or satirical verse.
Sensei: Title of respect for a master/teacher, especially a martial arts master.
Seppuku: Ritual suicide.
Shaku: Measure of distance roughly equivalent to 1 foot (30 cm).
Shikibu: Dame, lady; honorific title for a high-born noblewoman, added after the name (e.g., the famous novelist Murasaki Shikibu).
Shinden: Temple.
Shintao: The Way of Shinsei; study of Shinsei's teachings.
Shiro: Castle.
Shogi: Chess-like game.
Shoji: Sliding screen or wall made of paper on a wooden frame.
Shoju or Soju, or Shochu: Distilled liquor made of sweat potatoes, wheat, and/or millet (cheap and potent).
Shugenja: Both sorcerer and priest.
Sumi-e: Calligraphy set.
Sumo: Wrestling based on strength and weight.
Sugoroku: Board game similar to backgammon.
Tabi: Short socks worn with sandals.
Taiko: Ceremonial temple drum, varying in size but going from large to huge.
Tanto: Dagger with a guard. Usually matches the daisho in fancy sets. About 12 in. long.
Tatami: Sleeping mat.
Tatetsubo: Unit of volume, about 1.8 meters cubed or 100 to.
Tenji: Maid of honor, lady in waiting.
Tetsu Tsuru: "Iron Crane" - Nickname of the Crab for the Daidoji family.
To: A measure of volume; 18 litres or 10 masu.
Toe: Ten (10).
Toji: Lady, matron, mistress, housekeeper.
Tokkuri: Small-necked sake bottle.
Tokonoma: An alcove in which the family's treasures are placed.
Tomo-dachi: "good friends"; mixed plum brandy and saké.
Tono: Term of address for one's own lord.
Torid-e: Keep or fort.
Torii: Sacred gate placed near shrines and temples; passing under the torii allows cleansing of the spirit.
Toshi: City.
Tsu: Brilliant blue fish-like amphibian with iridescent emerald fins and tails, weighing up to 60 lbs (28 kg); their eggs are a rare delicacy .
Tsubo: unit of area, equal to 3.95 square yards or 3.31 square meters.
Uchikake: Long garment worn by women over their kimono.
Ukiyo-e: "Pictures of the floating world"; images of frivolous subjects e.g., portraits of famous actors and courtesans, images of popular places, fashion plates.
Ume-shu: Plum "wine"; actually a plum brandy.
Wan: Bay.
Wul: Plant used as animal fodder and, when specially treated, as armour padding. Similar to corn or wheat, grows to a height of three feet (one meter) and is orange in color, with large kernels that are sometimes used to make dice.
Yama: Mountain.
Yari: Spear.
Yashiki: Town manor or estate of a daimyo.
Yojimbo: Bodyguard.
Yoriki: Roughly equivalent to police lieutenant, magistrate's assistant.
Wagakimi: My lord.
Wakizashi: The shorter of a bushi's two swords (approx. 18 in.); with the Katana creates the Daisho (paired set).
Zeni: Copper coin. Ten zeni strings make a bu. For smaller denomination, the packages of zeni can be opened and the small copper pieces inside are used individually. However, most zeni strings (or wrapped packages) are never opened; the seal on them is a garantee that they have not been tampered with. A standard string contains 100 thin copper pieces, about 20 mm in diameter.
Zori: Sandals made of straw.
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 1:17 PM May 25
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