Vocabulary Items
Introduction
Nihon (日本, にほん, にっぽん) – The Japanese word for Japan is Nihon or Nippon. .
Shōgun (将軍, しょうぐん) – A General
Daimyō (大名, だいみょう) – A feudal lord
ukiyo-e (浮世絵, うきよえ) – A woodblock print of everyday life in Japan.
manga (漫画, まんが) – A comic; cartoon; comic strip.
kimono (着物, きもの) – Japanese clothing; clothes.
geta (下駄, げた) – Japanese wooden clogs.
kasa (傘, かさ) – Umbrella; parasol.
romen-densha or densha (路面電車, ろめんでんしゃ) – A street car; tram.
shōgyō-chi (商業地, しょうぎょうち) – Business district.
tabi-bito (旅人, たびびと) – Traveler.
hōdai (砲台, ほうだい) – Gun Battery.
kawa (川, かわ) – A river; stream.
hashi (橋, はし) – A bridge.
hata (旗, はた) – Flag; banner.
gaikokujin (外国人, がいこくじん) – Foreigner
seiyō (西洋, せいよう) – The west; western countries.
kodomo (子供, こども) – Child; children.
onna-no-ko (女の子, おんなのこ) – Girl; female child; baby girl.
yōfuku (洋服, ようふく) – Western-style clothing.
uchi (家, うち) – House; home.
warabuki (藁葺, わらぶき) – Thatched roof.
kuruma (車, くるま) – Car; automobile; vehicle.
otoko (男, おとこ) – Man.
uma (馬, うま) – Horse.
basha (馬車, ばしゃ) – (horse-drawn) coach; carriage; cart; wagon.
kasa (笠, かさ) – Conical straw hat.
tera (寺, てら) – Temple.
mon (門, もん) – Gate.
kaidan (階段, かいだん) – Stairs; stairway; staircase.
yama (山, やま) – Mountain.
mura (村, むら) – Village.
shi (詩, し) – Poem.
matsu (松, まつ)–Pine tree.
denki (電気, でんき) – Electricity
densen (電線, でんせん) – Electric line; electric cable; power line; telephone line; telephone wire.
kaki (垣, かき) – Fence.
shiro (城, しろ) – Castle.
arau (洗う, あらう) – To wash.
mino (蓑, みの) – Straw cloak.
hataraku (働く, はたらく) – To work; to labor.
onna (女, おんな) – Woman.
shashin (写真, しゃしん) – Photograph; photo.
kamera/shashinki (カメラ/写真器, しゃしんき) – Camera
iyagaru (嫌がる, いやがる) – To hate; to dislike.
hazukashigaru (恥ずかしがる, はずかしがる) – To be shy; to be bashful; to be abashed.
kotowaru (断る, ことわる) – To refuse; to reject; to dismiss; to turn down; to decline.
Fuji-san (富士山, ふじさん) – Mt. Fuji, -san is the Sino-Japanese reading for 山 and is a suffix meaning mountain (yama).
kuromatsu (黒松, くろまつ) – Black pine.
zenshū (禅宗, ぜんしゅう) – Zen Buddhism.
zendera (禅寺, ぜんでら) – Zen temple.
teppen (天辺, てっぺん) – Top; summit; apex; peak.
Kumo (雲, くも)
shōgakusei (小学生, しょうがくせい) – Elementary School Student.
sensei (先生, せんせい) – Teacher.
gakuseifuku/seifuku (学生服, がくせいふく) – School uniform.
ensoku (遠足, えんそく) – Excursion; outing; trip.
hinomaru (日の丸, ひのまる)- Outline of the sun; the Japanese flag.
renge (蓮花, れんげ)- Lotus flower.
rappa (喇叭, らっぱ) – Trumpet; horn; bugle.
fuku (吹く, ふく) – To blow; to play a wind instrument.
uma (馬, うま) – Horse.
basha (馬車, ばしゃ) – (horse-drawn) coach; carriage; cart; wagon.
kisha (汽車, きしゃ) – Steam train.
testudō (鉄道, てつどう) – Railroad.
matsubayashi (松林, まつばやし) – Pine forest.
kaigan (海岸, かいがん) – Coast; beach.
cha (茶, ちゃ) – Tea; tea plant.
chabatake (茶畑, ちゃばたけ) – Tea plantation; tea garden.
chaya (茶屋, ちゃや) – Tea house; tea dealer.
tororo-jiru (とろろ芋, とろろじる) – Yam Soup. –jiru, -shiru (suffix for soup or broth, e.g.
misoshiru (miso soup).
baika (梅花, ばいか) – Plum blossom.
tonneru (トンネル) – Tunnel.
nukeru (抜ける, ぬける) – To come out; to fall out; to be omitted; to be missing; to escape;
to come loose.
dōzō (胴像, どうぞう) – Statue.
musha (武者, むしゃ) – Warrior.
obōsan (お坊さん, おぼうさん) – Buddhist priest; monk.
sumō (相撲, すもう) – Sumo wrestling.
sumōtori (相撲取り, すもうとり) – Sumo wrestler.
fundoshi (ふんどし) – Loincloth; breechcloth; traditional male underwear; sumo wrestler’s ornamental apron.
keiko (稽古, けいこ) – practice; training; study.
fune (船, ふね) – A boat; ship; watercraft; vessel; steamship.
saosasu (棹差す, さおさす) – To pole (a boat); to punt (a boat); to swim with the tide.
hiku (引く, ひく) – To pull.
tōge (峠, とうげ) – Ridge; mountain pass.
gasō (画僧, がそう) – Artist monk.
bukkyō-bijutsu (仏教美術, ぶっきょうびじゅつ) – Buddhist Art
ogamu (拝む, おがむ) – To worship; pray to; bow to; do reverence to.
jinja (神社, じんじゃ) – Shinto shrine.
torii (鳥居, とりい) – Structural signifier of entrance to a sacred place.
testudō-basha (鉄道馬車, てつどうばしゃ) – Horse-drawn tramcar.
hadaka-matsuri (裸祭り, はだかまつり) – Naked festival.
chōchin (提灯, ちょうちん) – Paper lantern; festival lantern.
suzu (鈴, すず) – A bell.
odoru (踊る, おどる) – To dance.
tako (凧, たこ) – Kite.
tako-age (凧上げ, たこあげ) – Kite flying.
ishigaki (石垣, いしがき) – Stone wall.
kisui (汽水, きすい) – Brackish water.
kisuiko (汽水湖, きすいこ) – Brackish lake, -ko 湖, suffix for lake, みずうみ, mizuumi.
wataru (渡る, わたる) – To go across; cross over; ferry.
watashi-bune (渡し船, わたしぶね) – A ferry; ferry boat.
tosenjō/tosenba (渡船場, とせんじょう/とせんば) – Ferry landing.
yakusho (役所, やくしょ) – A public [government] office.
sekisho (関所, せきしょ) – Tokugawa era barrier/checkpoint to regulate travel.
annai-sha (案内者, あんないしゃ) – A guide; an attendant; a cicerone.
keshiki, fūkei (景色、けしき, 風景, ふうけい) – Natural scenery.
butsuzō (仏像, ぶつぞう) – Statue of Buddha; image of Buddha; Buddhist statue; Buddhist image.
kannon (観音, かんのん) – Buddhist deity of mercy.
todokeru (届ける, とどける) – To deliver; to forward; to send.
todokemono (届け物, とどけもの) – Article to be delivered.
jitensha (自転車, じてんしゃ) – Bicycle.
obasan (小母さん, おばさん) – An aunt; an auntie; a (middle-aged) lady.
kokaku (孤客, こかく) – A solitary [lonely, lone] traveler.
mori (森, もり) – Forest.
matsunamiki (松並木, まつなみき) – Row of pine trees.
dōro (道路, どうろ) – Road; highway.
michizoi (道沿い, みちぞい) – Along the road; at the side of the road.
matsu (待つ, まつ) – To wait.
noru (乗る, のる) – To get on; to get in; to board; to take; to embark.
geisha (芸者, げいしゃ) – A singing girl; a professional beauty and entertainer.
suugi (雛妓, すうぎ) – Geisha apprentice.
fuji (藤, ふじ) – Wisteria.
fujizuru (藤蔓, ふじづる) – Wisteria vine.
umaichi (馬市, うまいち) – Horse market.
umagoya (馬小屋, うまごや) – Stable.
shibaru (縛る, しばる) – To tie; to bind.
senjō (戦場, せんじょう) – Battlefield; battleground.
ame (雨, あめ) – Rain
ōame (大雨, おおあめ) – Heavy rain.
kumori-zora (曇り空, くもりぞら) – Cloudy sky.
Sora (空, そら) – Sky.
bōen-kyō (望遠鏡, ぼうえんきょう) – A telescope.
miru (見る, みる) – To see; to look; to watch; to view; to observe.
kai (貝, かい) – Clam.
yaku (焼く, やく) – To bake; to grill.
yaki-gai (焼き貝, やきがい) – Baked clam. Kai, clam.
minato (港, みなと) – Harbor; port.
minato-machi (港町, みなとまち) – Port city.
ishidōrō (石灯篭, いしどうろう) – Stone lantern.
rohyō (路標, ろひょう) – Road sign.
migi (右, みぎ) – Right; right hand side.
hidari (左, ひだり) – Left; left hand side.
massugu (真すぐ, まっすぐ) – Straight; straight (ahead); straight.
junrei (巡礼, じゅんれい) – Pilgrimage.
junrei-sha (巡礼者, じゅんれいしゃ) – Pilgrim.
kongō -zue (金剛杖, こんごうづえ) – Pilgrim’s staff; pilgrim’s walking stick.
Yakushi (薬師, やくし) – The Healing Buddha.
niuma (荷馬, にうま) – Pack horse.
tsureru (連れる, つれる) – To take [lead]; to bring (with); to be accompanied by; to be attended by.
otoko-no-ko (男の子, おとこのこ) – Boy; male child; baby boy.
jidōsha (自動車, じどうしゃ) – Automobile.
jōkyaku (乗客, じょうきゃく) – Passenger.
mōsha (盲者, もうしゃ) – Blind person.
goze (瞽女, ごぜ) – A blind female street singer.
tani (谷, たに) – Valley.
kiken (危険, きけん) – Danger; peril; hazard.
take (竹, たけ) – Bamboo.
taketori (竹取, たけとり) – Bamboo cutter (person)
amayadori (雨宿り, あまやどり) – Taking shelter from the rain.
hanayome (花嫁, はなよめ) – Bride.
jinrikisha (人力車, じんりきしゃ) – Rickshaw.
kekkon (結婚, けっこん) – Marriage.
yuki (雪, ゆき) – Snow.
ginrei (銀嶺, ぎんれい) – Silvery, snow-covered mountain.
hashi (箸, はし) – Chopsticks.
mochi (餅, もち) – Rice cake.
kama (釜, かま) – An iron pot; a kettle; a cauldron.
sakana (魚, さかな) – Fish.
skana-tsuri (魚釣り, さかなつり) – Fishing.
tsuri-zao (釣り竿, つりざお) – A fishing rod [pole].
mizuumi (湖, みずうみ) – Lake.
ushi (牛, うし) – Cattle; cow; ox; oxen.
matsuri (祭り, まつり) – A festival; a celebration; a feast.
Notes:
English definitions are taken from the 1974 edition of the Kenkyūsha New Japanese-English Dictionary, Goh
Masuda, ed. (Tokyo: Kenkyusha, Limited, 1974).
- Though the title is The Fifty Three Stations of the Tōkaidō Manga Scroll, the paintings are numbered 1 through55. This is because the starting location, Nihonbashi, and the final destination, Kyōto, were not numbered in
Utagawa (Andō) Hiroshige’s original The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tōkaidō (1833–1834 in the Hōeidō edition), and the manga scroll follows this precedent. Japanese names are given throughout in Japanese order, family name first and given name last.
The scroll used here, along with another exemplar, was acquired as part of the manga collections in Ohio
State’s Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum.