For information about this supplement see The Anime Companion Supplement main page. Additions are in the Anime Companion Supplement News page.
Hyphenated Japanese terms are listed as single words.
The inclusion of an anime or manga title in these entries is not a
recommendation of that title see my Recommended Anime and Manga page for a
list of my recommendations
- kabayaki (charcoal broiled fish) かばやき or 蒲焼
- Fish split open, de-boned, skewered and grilled. A rich sauce is used for basting with this dish. The most popular kind of kabayaki is unagikabayaki made with eel (unagi; The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.144), sometimes as unagi donburi (The Anime Companion 2 p.110). Kabayaki are served from roadside stands (yatai; The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.147) or in restaurants. The famous kabayaki of Fukagawa (The Anime Companion 2 p.21) used a strong salty sauce.
Anime:
In Samurai Champloo (ep.11) Jin gets a part time job that involves cutting, but not the kind he had in mind as it involves eels and grilling.
Sources:
Naito Akira. Edo: The City That Became Tokyo p.160-161
Hosking, Richard. A Dictionary of Japanese Food p.66
Illustrated Eating in Japan p.40
Waley, Paul. Tokyo: City of Stories p.163
- kabuki 歌舞伎 (The Anime Companion 2 p.35)
- Source:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.702
KABUKI FEMALE IMPERSONATOR see: onnagata
- kabuki mono かぶき者 (The Anime Companion 2 p.35)
- Source:
Leiter, Samuel. New Kabuki
Encyclopedia p.245
KABUKI PLAY WITH GANG OF FIVE see: Aoto-zōshi hana no nishiki
- Kabukichō 歌舞伎町 (The Anime Companion 2 p.35)
- Source:
Look Into Tokyo p.149
Waley, Paul. Tokyo: City of Stories p. 250-51
- Kabukiza 歌舞伎座 (The Anime Companion 2 p.36)
- Source:
Leiter, Samuel. New Kabuki Encyclopedia p.246
KABUTO STOCK EXCHANGE see: Tōkyō Shōken torihikijo (The Anime Companion 2 p.105)
KACHIDOKI BRIDGE see: Kachidokibashi
- Kachidokibashi 勝鬨橋
- A double drawbridge near the mouth of the Sumidagawa (The Anime Companion 2 p.93) in Chūō-ku connecting Tsukiji, near the Tsukiji Fish Market (Tsukiji Shijō; The Anime Companion 2 p.109), and Kachidoki. The construction on this bridge was completed in 1940. The name of the bridge commemorates a victorious sea battle during the Russo Japanese War (Nichiro Sensō; The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.93), kachidoki means a shout of victory.
Anime:
The Kachidoki Bridge is in
several scenes, including a raising, in You're Under Arrest!: The Motion Picture.
Manga:
Goto is instructed to go to Kachidoki Bridge in Old Boy (v.3 p.34, 36-) where someone other than the caller meets him.
Sources:
Bestor, Theodore C. Tsukiji p.60
Takahashi Morio. Pocket Romanized Japanese-English Dictionary p.410
Tokyo City Atlas 66 D1
Waley, Paul. Tokyo: City of Stories p.109
Waley, Paul. Tokyo Now & Then p.222
- kadomatsu (pine gate) 門松 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.58)
- Sources:
Vardaman, James M. and
Michiko Sakaki Vardaman Japan From A to Z p.34
Festivals of Japan p.16
Japanese Family and Culture p.75
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.708
A Look Into Japan p.81
- kaede to momoji (maple tree) 楓 (or 槭) and 紅葉 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.58)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.922
- kaginawa (hook rope) 鈎縄
-
A hook rope combination. This weapon was used by police to capture and restrain rather than kill. The hooks could be single or more, the rope would be long enough to be of use in securely tying a prisoner. In a fight the hook could be attached to the flesh or clothing of a person and the rope used to hinder their movements and to tie them.
Manga:
In Color of Rage (p.218) the kaginawa used to capture George and King have three hooks.
In Samurai Executioner (v.3 p.226) the jōmawari Sakane Kasajirō uses a kaginawa.
Sources:
Mol, Serge. Classical Weaponry of Japan p.113-114
- Kagiya
- A major manufacturer of fireworks (hanabi The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.39). The founder of the company enjoyed making fireworks as a child and founded the company in 1659 in the Nihonbashi area of Edo (The Anime Companion 2 p.18). Their major competitor was Tamaya and each year the companies would try to out do each other in the making of beautiful displays.
Manga:
Spectators shout out Tamaya! Kagiya! at the Ryōgoku River Festival fireworks show on the Sumidagawa (The Anime Companion 2 p.93) in Samurai Executioner (v.6 p.188)
Sources:
Hanabi: The Fireworks of Japan p.69
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.376
Waley, Paul. Tokyo: City of Stories p.117
- kago (sedan chair) 駕籠 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.58)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.710
- kagome kagome 籠目籠目 or かごめかごめ
- A Children's game where one child closes their eyes, squats and others circle around while chanting a song. When they stop chanting the child who is 'it' guesses who is behind them. If correct that person becomes it.
Anime:
Yukari watches the game being played in Doomed Megalopolis (ep.1)
In City Hunter 3 (ep.8 ) we don't see the game, rather we hear the tune at a street crossing while Ryo is trailing Kaori.
It is also seen in Silent Möbius (ep.7), Urusei Yatsura (TV ep.78 story 101) and in The Legend of the Dog Warriors The Hakkenden (ep. 5)
Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.710
KAGOSHIMA HAN see: Satsuma han (The Anime Companion 2 p.80)
- kagura 神楽 FORMAL incorrect in the book as 神樂. I cannot reproduce the correct form here. (The Anime Companion 2 p.36)
- Sources:
Averbuch, Irit. The Gods Come Dancing p.9-11
Bocking, Brian. A Popular Dictionary of Shintō p.81-82
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.711
Must See In Nikko p.64, 181
Outlook on Japan p.27)
- kagura suzu (suzu wand) 神楽鈴
- A type of wand with several suzu (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.129) attached to rings of declining size as they go up the wand. This is used in performances of kagura (The Anime Companion 2 p.36) and other rituals at Shintō (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.121) shrines.
Anime:
We see a kagura suzu with broad goshiki
ribbons attached to it in Kami Chu! (ep.1)
Okuni (see: Izumo no Okuni (The Anime Companion 2 p.33) has kagura
suzu in episode 20 of Samurai Deeper Kyo.
Sources:
Illustrated A Look Into Japan p.23
KAHAKU see: onigawara (The Anime Companion 2 p.69)
- kai-awase (shell-matching game) 貝合せ (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.58)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia 712
- kaidan dansu 階段箪笥 FORMAL 階段簞笥 (The Anime Companion 2 p.36)
- Sources:
Bornoff, Nicholas and Michael
Freeman. Things Japanese p.12-13
- Kaientai 海援隊
- In
1864 Sakamoto Ryōma (The Anime Companion 2 p.76) and about 20 other rōnin (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.106), with financial backing from Satsuma han (The Anime Companion 2 p.80), formed a shipping business called the Shachū (Company) in Nagasaki (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.90). They purchased guns and other items from Western merchants and used the small fleet of ships they had to transport them to the anti-shōgunate forces of Satsuma han and Chōshū han (The Anime Companion 2 p.13). In 1867 Ryōma reestablished links with Tosa han (The Anime Companion 2 p.106) and obtained a pardon for having become a
rōnin along with han (The Anime Companion 2 p.26) patronage for his operation which was renamed the Kaientai, the Naval Auxiliary Force. One interesting story is that a ship of Kii han collided with the Iroha Maru, one of the ships the Kaientai was using. Ryōma sued employing international law for the first time in Japan and obtained a large settlement. Not bad for a rebel taking on one of the most powerful pro-shōgunate han in Japan. Also in 1867 the company
business matters were placed in the hands of Iwasaki Yatarō who proceeded to turn the loosely run rebel organization into a proper, if often illegal, business. After Ryōma's death in 1868 and during the dramatic events that followed in the rest of Japan the company was disbanded.
Anime:
In Peacemaker (ep.24) Tetsu has a dream that Ryoma asks him to join the Kaientai.
Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.712
Jansen, Marius B. Sakamoto Ryōma and the Meiji Restoration p.216, 267, 272-276
- kaihōgyō 回峯行 or 回峰行 (The Anime Companion 2 p.36)
- Source:
Stevens, John. The Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei
KAIJŌ JIEITAI see: Jieitai (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.53)
- kaijū (giant monster) 怪獣 OLD FORM 怪獸 (The Anime Companion 2 p.37)
- Sources:
Galbraith IV, Stuart. Monsters are Attacking Tokyo p.8
- kaimyō 戒名 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.58)
- Sources:
Discover Japan v.1 p.184
KAI-ŌI see: kai-awase (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.58)
- kaishakunin 介錯人 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.59)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.501
Joya, Mock. Mock Joya's Things Japanese p.659
- kaiten sushi (revolving sushi
bar) 回転寿司
- Revolving sushi (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.128) bars are a type of sushi restaurant which
started in the 1950s. In kaiten sushi pairs of specific types of sushi
placed on small plates on a conveyor belt. You simply choose the one you
want, the plates are different colors with a specific price for each
color. When you are ready to pay the staff add up the value of your
plates. You can also order specific sushi to be made. The first of this
type of restaurant was Genroku-zushi in Higashi-Osaka.
Manga:
In Genshiken (v.6 p.42) Madarame runs into Kasukabe and they drop by a kaiten sushi place to eat. Kasukabe orders ōtoro (very fatty tuna meat), which is so expensive only one piece is on the plate.
Sources:
Ashburne, John & Abe Yoshi, World Food Japan p.147
Tokyo Walking Around p.42-43
Isobune Sushi in
my old neighborhood in Oakland California.
KAKEJIKU see: kakemono (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.59)
- kakekomidera (refuge temple) 駆込寺
- Refuge temples also called enkiridera, divorce
temples. These existed in Japan from the 13 century until the Meiji
Period (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.81). Kakekomidera were
Buddhist convents that would take in women who were trying to escape
their husbands. After three years, later reduced to two years, of
service in such a temple a woman was allowed to petition for divorce
even if the husband objected. The most famous of such temples was Tōkeiji in Kamakura (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.59), another was Mantokuji. In the late Edo
Period (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.25) only Tōkeiji and
Mantokuji were allowed to function as kakekomidera.
Anime:
Enkiridera is the term he uses when Jin helps Shino
escape to a divorce temple in Samurai Champloo (ep.11)
Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.716
Joya, Mock. Mock Joya's Things Japanese p.562
- kakemono (hanging scroll) 掛け物 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.59)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.716
Outlook on Japan p.44
Condon, John
and Keisuke Kurata. In Search of What's Japanese About Japan p.26
- kaki (persimmon) 柿 (The Anime Companion 2 p.37)
- Source:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.1198
- kakigōri-ki (shaved ice) [kakigōri かき氷](The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.59)
- Actually there is an error here a
kakigōri-ki is the machine used to make kakigōri, shaved ice.
Sources:
Eating in Japan p.139
Pictorial
Encyclopedia of Japanese Life and Events p.52
- kaku andon (four-legged standing lantern) 角行灯 OLD FORM
角行燈 (The Anime Companion 2 p.38)
- Source:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.879
KAKU SEIRŌ see: seirō (The Anime Companion 2 p.81)
KAKURE KIRISHITAN see: Kirisutokyō (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.69)
- kakurenbo (hide and seek) かくれんぼ
- The Japanese version of the children's game Hide and
Seek. The one who is 'it,' called the oni (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.101) and selected from the players by
jan-ken (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.52), has to find
the ones who are hiding. The first one the oni finds becomes the new oni
for the next round.
Anime:
Hide and seek (kakurenbo) is
mentioned by a man trying to kill Mugen in Samurai Champloo
(ep.26)
The ultimate example is Kakurenbo: Hide & Seek
where the oni is all too real.
Sources:
Illustrated
Japanese Family & Culture p.66
KAKUSHI see kakute
- kakushibuki (hidden weapon) 隠し武器
-
Hidden weapons, sometimes the term hibuki is used. Specifically weapons
small enough to be concealed within clothing or in common objects one
would carry or have around them. Weapons classed as kakushibuki include
shuriken (The Anime Companion 2 p.89), suntetsu (The Anime Companion 2 p.93), konpei, and shikomibuki.
Anime:
In Ranma 1/2 Anything-Goes Martial Arts (ep.8) Shampoo warns Ranma that
Mouse is a master of hidden weapons, listen to the original Japanese and
you will hear the word kakushibuki used.
Sources:
Mol, Serge. Classical Weaponry of Japan p.57, 136, 155, 186.
Cunningham, Don. Samurai Weapons: Tools of the Warrior p.45-73
- kakute (horned hand) 角手
- The kakute is a small weapon, a finger ring with a few spikes or teeth coming out of one part. It is usually worn spikes inward and allows the user to get a grip on an opponent, it is also used to apply a painful grip on pressure points. Wearing it with spikes outward is unusual. It is called by several names depending on the ryū (The Anime Companion 2 p.75) and different types have different names depending on the number of teeth they have. It is also generally called kakushi, horned finger, however kakushi can also refer to any small hidden weapon.
Manga:
In Path of the Assassin (v.1 p.96, 100) a nokizaru named Dakki uses a kakute on Hattori Hanzō while questioning him.
Sources:
Frederic, Louis. Dictionary of the Martial Arts p.92
Mol, Serge. Classical Weaponry of Japan p.110-113
- Kakuzenbo Hoin In'ei 院覚禅房胤栄
- 1512 - 1607. Commonly known as Hōzōin In'ei. He was
from the Nakamikado clan and became a Buddhist priest (bōzu) at Hōzōin temple, however his love of
martial arts resulted in his being kicked out after which he wandered
the country visiting martial artists as he traveled. One of the fighters
was Daizen Taibu Shigetada who he studied spear fighting under. He also
studied under Onishiki Shunken. When he fought Kamiizumi Nobutsuna he lost and
ended up becoming a student of the famous swordsman. In time he was
allowed to return to the temple. In'ei developed the Hōzōin-ryū spear fighting techniques
for the kamayari. He also
arraigned for Yagyū Sekishūsai
Muneyoshi, a relative of his, to meet Kamiizumi Nobutsuna. Late in
his life he decided that priest and monks should have nothing to do with
martial arts and had all weapons removed from the temple as well as
forbidding the teaching of fighting techniques.
Manga:
In Vagabond (v.4 ch. 32) Jōtarō mentions Hōzōin In'ei, later (ch.37)
Miyamoto Musashi (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.86) and Jōtarō meet him thinking he is just another old monk. In a later volume (v.7 ch.65) the meeting between Kamiizumi Nobutsuna and Yagyū Sekishūsai Muneyoshi arraigned by Hōzōin In’ei is seen.
Sources:
Knutsen, Roald & Patricia. Japanese Spears p.82-
Turnbull, Stephen. The Samurai Sourcebook p.90
Wilson, William Scott. The Lone Samurai p.44, 87
- Kakuzenbo Inshun KANJI
- Sometimes just referred to as Inshun. A student of, and the successor of, Kakuzenbo Hoin In'ei who had mastered the Hōzōin-ryū spear techniques of his teacher, according to some rumors In'ei was his father. Late in his life In'ei had come to the decision that priests (bōzu) should not practice martial arts and forbade Inshun to teach others. However a few years after In'ei's death Inshun was abbot of the Hozoin temple and again teaching spear techniques as well as changing the structure of the ranks. He also studied with a Nichiren priest of Ozoin temple, a priest who was also a student of In'ei's.
Anime:
Inshun shows up in Ninja Resurrection (ep.2)
Manga:
In volume four of
Vagabond Inshun enters the story, later he and Miyamoto Musashi (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.86) fight, in actually the Hozoin spear technique user that Musashi fought was the priest at Ozoin temple.
Sources:
Knutsen, Roald & Patricia. Japanese Spears p.82-
Wilson, William Scott. The Lone Samurai p.45
- kama (cooking pot) かま or 釜 (The Anime Companion 2 p.38)
- Source:
Hosking, Richard. A Dictionary of Japanese Food p.69
- kama meshi かまめし or 釜飯 (The Anime Companion 2 p.38)
- Sources:
Hosking, Richard. A Dictionary of Japanese Food p.70
Nagasawa Kimiko & Camy Condon. Eating
Cheap in Japan p.16-17
Ashburne, John & Abe Yoshi World
Food Japan p.179
- kamado (stove) かまど or 竈 (The Anime Companion 2 p.39)
- Source:
Hosking, Richard. A Dictionary of Japanese Food p.70
Joya, Mock. Mock Joya's Things Japanese p. 29
- kamaitachi (weasel slash) 鎌鼬
or 窮奇
- A type of splitting of the skin. This was traditionally
held to be caused by weasels using supernatural powers to create a
whirlwind which then caused the skin to split.
Anime:
In
Doomed Megalopolis (ep.1) during the attack at the train station
when Hirai says "weasel slash" in the subtitles listen carefully and
you will hear the word kamaitachi.
In El Hazard (ep.6) the
subtitles translate what Ifurita says as "A weasel's slash formed by an
air vacuum" listen and again you will hear the word kamaitachi.
Sources:
Reider, Noriko T. "The Appeal of Kaidan Tales of the
Supernatural" Asian Folklore Studies 59, no. 2 (2000): p.273
Foster, Michael Dylan. Morphologies of Mystery: Yōkai and Discources
of the Supernatural in Japan 1666-1999 p.60
- Kamakura 鎌倉 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.59)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.719
Web site:
Kamakura
Green Net
- Kamakura Period 鎌倉時代 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.59)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.720-724
Must-See in Kyoto p.179
Must-See in Nikko p.181
KAMAKURA SHOGUNATE see: Kamakura period (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.59)
- kamayari 鎌槍
- A
type of spear with one or more sickle (kama = sickle), blades extending
at a right angle from the shaft at the point where the spearhead meets
the shaft. There are several types of kamayari depending if there are
one or two blades, if the blade is straight or curved, if curved the
direction the blade curves, if two blades are they the same length or
not and if they curve in the same or different directions. Fighting
techniques include various thrusts and slashes with the different
blades.
Anime:
This weapon is seen used in Raven Tengu
Kabuto and Samurai Deeper Kyo (ep.3)
Manga:
Marubashi Chōya, a spear instructor, has a kamayari hung on his wall in
Samurai Executioner (v.5 p.237)
In Vagabond (v.7 ch.62)
Miyamoto Musashi (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.86) fights
Kakuzenbo Inshun who uses a
kamayari
Sources:
Knutsen, Roald & Patricia. Japanese Spears: Polearms and Their Use in Old Japan p.61-62
- kami 神 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.59)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.727
Bocking, Brian. A Popular Dictionary of Shintō p.84
- kami fūsen (paper ball) 紙風船
- An inflated paper ball, also called kami temari. These are
made by taking strips of thin paper cut so they are wider in the middle
and taper towards each end. They are ten pasted together in such a way
that when air is blown into a hole at one end they inflate, a small
valve in the form of a paper flap inside the hole helps keep them
inflated. Usually the paper is of several colors and brightly colored.
The earliest records of these balls indicate they were developed in the
1890s.
Anime:
We see these, anachronistically in the
1870s, in the Rurouni Kenshin TV series first in episode 28 and
later in episode 89 where Misao blows one up and gives it to Aoshi.
Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.
1187
And direct observation of the structure of a kami fūsen I
bought at Mikado in San
Francisco's Japantown.
KAMI OF DEATH see: shinigami
KAMI OF POVERTY see: bimbōgami
KAMI POSSESSION see: kamigakari
KAMI TEMARI see: kami
fūsen
KAMI VEHICLE see: shintai (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.121)
KAMIARIZUKI see: kaminazuki (month
without gods)
- kamidana (Shintō altar) 神棚 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.60)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.1390
Basic Terms of Shintō (1958) p.28
Living Japanese Style p.20
Japanese Family and Culture p.114
Bocking, Brian. A Popular Dictionary of Shintō p.85
- kamigakari (possession by a
kami) 神憑り
- Usually translated as possession by a
kami (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.59) or kami
possession, the term literally means kami descending. This process can
be gradual or sudden with the kami speaking or acting through an
individual or even a group such as the bearers of a portable shrine
(mikoshi, The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.82) in a matsuri
(festival). Some of the New religions (shinkō shūkyō, The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.120) began with or involve kamigakari.
Anime:
Starting in episode 2 of Kami Chu! Yashima
possesses Mitsue on occasion so he can speak to those who cannot see or
hear him.
Sources:
Blacker, Carmen. The Catalpa
Bow p.131, 133, 136, 172-173
Bocking, Brian. A Popular
Dictionary of Shintō p.85-86
Nelson, John K. Enduring
Identities p.173
KAMIIZUMI HIDETSUNA see: Kamiizumi Nobutsuna
KAMIIZUMI ISE NO KAMI see: Kamiizumi Nobutsuna
- Kamiizumi Nobutsuna 上泉信綱
- 1508 or 1520 - 77?, the dates are unsure. Also known as
Kamiizumi Ise no Kami. A famous swordsman who was the instructor for
both Yagyū Sekishūsai Muneyoshi
and Kakuzenbo Hoin In'ei. His
teachings included the view that learning swordsmanship had spiritual
and psychological sides. Part of this was the views of the
"death-dealing sword" and the "life-giving sword". He also is credited
with developing the shinai (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.119). Originally named Kamiizumi Hidetsuna, the son of Kamiizumi
Hidetsugu of Ogo castle in Kōzuke. In 1566 his fighting for the Uesugi
clan during the siege of Minowa against the Takeda clan earned him the
respect of his opponents. Takeda Shingen granted permission for him to
change his name to Nobutsuna, using the kanji (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.61) for Nobu, this kanji was part of Harunobu, Shingen's given name. Shingen also asked him to change sides which he
refused to do. Nobutsuna then went on a famous musha-shugyō (The Anime Companion 2 p.58) with two other accomplished
swordsmen his nephew Hikita Bungorō and Jingo Muneharu. One story of his
experiences includes rescuing a child hostage by disguising himself as a
priest and luring the hungry cornered thief close enough with
nigirimeshi (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.93) to pin him
to the ground. Kurosawa Akira used this tale as the basis for a scene in
his movie The Seven Samurai. He also was invited to demonstrate
his skills for the Emperor Ogimachi, an unheard of honor for any
swordsman, the Emperor also granted him noble rank
Manga:
In Chapter 65 of Vagabond (v.7) the meeting between Kamiizumi
Nobutsuna and Yagyū Sekishūsai Muneyoshi is seen.
Sources:
Turnbull, Stephen. The Lone Samurai and the
Martial Arts p.45, 50, 50, 73-4
Turnbull, Stephen. The
Samurai Sourcebook p.47, 90, 218
Wilson, William Scott, The
Lone Samurai p.44, 87
- kamikakushi (spirited
away) 神隠し
- Hiding by the spirits, sometimes translated as
spirited away. In traditional Japan when someone mysteriously vanished
it was at times assumed to be a kidnaping by spirits such as
tengu (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.134) or foxes
(kitsune, The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.71) who had taken
the person to the spirit realm. Entire communities would comb the area
looking for the missing person often ringing bells and beating drums.
Folk tradition has it that the victim would return in a period of time
ranging from a few days to several years.
Anime:
The most
famous anime with this motif is Spirited Away, or in the original
Japanese title: Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (The Spiriting
Away of Sen and Chihiro)
Otogi Zoshi (ep.16 ) includes a
tale of a girl and boy who crossed into another realm, the boy making it
back without his older sister.
Manga:
In Samurai
Executioner (v.1 p.182-) a series of disappearance of young girls
turns out to be not kamikakushi but the work of a pedophiliac serial
killer.
Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p. 727
KAMIKAZE PILOTS see: Kamikaze Tokubetsu Kōgekitai (The Anime Companion 2 p.39)
KAMIKAZE SPECIAL ATTACK FORCE see: Kamikaze Tokubetsu Kōgekitai
(The Anime Companion 2 p.39)
KAMIKAZE PARTY UNIFORM see: tokkōfuku
(kamikaze party uniform)
- Kamikaze Tokubetsu Kōgekitai (Kamikaze Special Attack Force)
神風特別攻撃隊 (The Anime Companion 2 p.39)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.728
- kaminazuki (month without
gods) 神無月
- Also known as kannazuki. The month without
kami (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.59). In the modern
calendar this begins on October 11, after the traditional time for the
harvest. During this time those kami who can hear the invitation, some
are deaf and cannot, gather at Izumo (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.52). In Izumo this period is known as the month of kami, kamiarizuki.
Anime:
In episode 12 of Kami Chu!
Yurie transfers to a school in Izumo during kannazuki.
Sources:
Bocking, Brian, A Popular Dictionary of Shintō p. 86
- Kaminarimon 雷門 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.60)
- Sources:
A Look Into Tokyo p.18
- kami-shibai (paper shows) 紙芝居 (The Anime Companion 2 p.39)
- Sources:
Joya, Mock. Mock Joya's Things Japanese p.513
Tuttle, Charles E. Incredible Japan p.97
KAMON see: mon (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.89)
KAMPYŌMAKI see: kanpyōmaki
- kamuro (young female pages or
attendants) 禿
- Originally kamuro were pages at the Imperial
Court. The term was adopted in the pleasure quarters to refer to child
attendants of courtesans. A new kamuro commonly began this work at the
age of seven to nine, sometimes younger. At first the girls were trained
in etiquette, local ways of speaking, how to run errands and later
music, calligraphy as well as a few other arts. If especially talented
they would have further training. Intelligent girls were assigned to
serve higher ranking courtesans. Given that they were raised in a
limited environment they rarely knew anything of the outside world.
Kamuro would remain virgins until their mizuage when they themselves would become
courtesans, their rank at this stage was dependent on the skills they
had learned as a kamuro.
Anime:
In episode 13 of
Peacemaker we find out that Saya and Ohana are kamuro and in
attendance to the tayū Akesato.
Sources:
de Becker, J. E. The Nightless City: Or the
History of the Yoshiwara Yūkwaku p.69
Seigle, Cecilia Segawa. Yoshiwara: The Glittering World of the Japanese Courtesan p.81-86
- kana (syllabary) 仮名 OLD FORM 假名 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.60)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.730
- Kanadehon Chūshingura (Treasury
of Loyal Retainers) 仮名手本忠臣蔵
- A famous play, originally for
the puppet theater (bunraku; The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.15), in eleven acts by Takeda Izumo II, Miyoshi Shōraku and Namiki
Sōsuke and first performed in 1748. This play tells the story of the Akō Jiken (Akō incident) and was soon
adapted for performances on the kabuki (The Anime Companion 2 p.35) stage. This was not the first play based on the famous
vendetta but it is considered the greatest and has been adapted into
film several times. The play is often performed in December when the
vengeance was carried out. Due to prohibitions on depicting contemporary
events on stage during the Edo Period (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.25) the play is set in the past in Kamakura (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.59) rather than Edo (The Anime Companion 2 p.18)
Manga:
That the uniforms of the
Shinsengumi (The Anime Companion 2 p.86) were modeled on
those of the rōnin in Kanadehon Chūshingura is mentioned in
Kaze Hikaru (v.5 p.76)
Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.731
Leiter, Samuel. New Kabuki
Encyclopedia p.271-274
- Kanagawa Ken 神奈川県 OLD FORM 神奈川縣 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.60)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.732
Web site:
Kanagawa Prefecture
(official site)
KANAGAWA TREATY see: Nichibei Washin Jōyaku (The Anime Companion 2 p.62)
- Kanaya 金谷 (The Anime Companion 2 p.40)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.732
- Kanda 神田
- In 1878, during the Meiji Period (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.81), Kanda was one of the original 15 ku (wards) of Tokyo (The Anime Companion 2 p.104). In 1947 Kanda was merged with Kōjimachi to form the present day Chiyoda-ku (The Anime Companion 2 p.13). When Tokyo was still called Edo (The Anime Companion 2 p.18) Kanda was a significant commercial and densely populated residential district from the early days of the Edo Period (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.25). During the Edo Period the Kandagawa river channel was dug through the district at that time resulting in Kanda being divided into two parts, the Soto Kanda to the North and Uchi Kanda to the South of the river. Another division was townspeople on the lower elevations and samurai (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.110) dwellings on the high places of Kanda hill, a location left over after a much larger Kanda hill had been leveled to create land fill on Edo Bay (Tōkyō Wan The Anime Companion 2 p.105). After the Meireki fire most of the temples of this district, there were 69 built in the early 17th century alone, were moved further away from the city center. In 1857 the first center for vaccination in Japan was established here by Itō Genboku and other scholars of Western medicine. Today this part of Tokyo has several long established private Universities and Colleges, for example: Meiji University, Chūō University, Nihon University, Hōsei University and Senshū University in the section known as Surugadai. It also has something like 60% of the publishers in Japan , as well as printers and the famous Jimbōchō neighborhood with it's bookstores. It is also the location of the Kanda Jinja shrine, Yushima Seidō, Nikolai Cathedral, also Bakin (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.8) lived there for most of his life, and the Shakaitō, rickshaw puller's association was based there.
Anime:
Nenene meets Mr. Lee in Kanda in R.O.D The TV (ep.3)
In Otogi Zoshi (ep.14) Kanda is mentioned in a conversation between Hikaru and Sadamitsu.
Manga:
In Lady Snowblood (v.4 p.82) one of Yuki's targets lives in the Matsunaga-cho part of Kanda-ku
Sources:
Cybriwsky, Roman. Historical Dictionary of Tokyo p.78
Cunningham , Don. Taiho-Jutsu p.5
Enbutsu Sumiko. Old Tōkyō: Walks in the City of the Shōgun p.79
Naito Akira. Edo: The City That Became Tokyo p.108, 178, 181
Seidensticker, Edward. Low City, High City p.8, 236
Waley, Paul. Tokyo: City of Stories p.23, 65-74
KANDA BOOKSHOPS SEE Jimbōchō
KANDA JIMBŌCHŌ SEE Jimbōchō
- Kanda Jinja 神田神社
-
Also called Kanda Myōjin and located in Chiyoda ku (The Anime Companion 2 p.13), Tōkyō (The Anime Companion 2 p.104), this Shintō (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.121)
shrine (jinja; The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.54) is
dedicated to two kami (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.59):
Ōnamuchi no Mikoto and Sukunahikona no Mikoto. Originally founded around
730 in the village of Shibasaki, where present-day Ōtemachi is, before
the area was called Edo (The Anime Companion 2 p.18). The
shrine was relocated in 1616 to the present location on Yushima hill to
make room for the expansion of Edo castle (Edojō; The Anime Companion 2 p.18). The shrine buildings were destroyed in the Kanto
earthquake (Kantō Daisinsai; The Anime Companion 2 p.41)
in 1923 and the present fire resistant buildings date from the 1930s. It
is also associated with Taira no Masakado (The Anime Companion 2 p.95) who was enshrined there until 1874 when his spirit was moved
to a sub-shrine before the Meiji emperor visited Kanda Jinja, in May of
1984 Masakado's spirit was returned to the main shrine.
Anime:
Kanda shrine is in Doomed Megalopolis
(ep.4)
Katsumi's parents going to Kanda Myojin Shrine and it's
connection with a skull is in episode 69 of Silent Möbius.
Sources:
Cybriwsky, Roman. Historical Dictionary of Tokyo p.78
Enbutsu Sumiko. Old Tōkyō: Walks in the City of
the Shōgun p. 73
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.734
Seidensticker, Edward. Low City, High City p.134-135
Tokyo City Atlas 21 F2
Tokyo Metropolitan
Atlas 13 I-6
Turnbull, Stephen. The Samurai and the
Sacred p.187
Waley, Paul. Tokyo Now & Then p.41, 295-296
KANDA MYŌJIN see: Kanda Jinja
KANDA SHRINE see: Kanda Jinja
KANE see: ohaguro (blackening
teeth)
- Kaneiji 寛永寺 OLD FORM 寬永寺 (The Anime Companion 2 p.40)
- Sources:
Enbutsu Sumiko. Old Tokyo 1993
p. 83, 90
Look Into Tokyo p.42
Waley, Paul. Tokyo Now
& Then p.49, 76, 153, 160-161
- kanji (chinese character) 漢字 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.61)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.155, 736-7, 843, 1155
- kanji (organizer) 幹事 (The Anime Companion 2 p.40)
- Sources:
Eating in Japan p.68
- kanjiki (snowshoes) 橇 or かんじき (The Anime Companion 2 p.40)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.737
- Kankōmaru 観光丸
-
In 1854 the Dutch sent a steamship, the Soembing, to Nagasaki (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.90). The bakufu (The Anime Companion 2 p.8) had wanted to purchase a warship, however the
Crimean War meant that no such ships were available so the Soembing was
sent instead. The ship was commanded by a Lieutenant G. Fabius who was
ordered by the Dutch govenment to instruct the Japanese in the basics of
steam ships. This he did for three months teaching over 200 students. In
1855, as a gift to the Japanese, the ship returned to Nagasaki with a
detachment of sailors to continue training the Japanese. At this time
the ship was renamed the Kankōmaru and became the first training ship
for what was to become the Japanese Navy. In 1857 a Japanese crew under
the command of Katsu Kaishū (The Anime Companion 2 p.42)
sailed the ship to Edo (The Anime Companion 2 p.18) where
a fresh detachment of Dutch instructors continued further training until
March 1859.
Anime:
Sakamoto Ryōma (The Anime Companion 2 p.76) points out the Kankōmaru and Kokuryūmaru as well
as the nearby navy training center to Ichimura Tetsunosuke and
Tatsunosuke in Peacemaker (ep 9)
Sources:
Jansen, Marius B. Sakamoto Ryōma and the Meiji Restoration p63,64
KANNAZUKI see: kaminazuki (month
without gods)
- kanpyōmaki かんぴょうまき
or 干瓢巻き
- A type of makizushi with kanpyō, dried gourd
strips, which have been simmered in a mixture of water, shōyu (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.124) and sugar, then cooled.
Sometimes they are soaked in water first then simmered in a stronger
mixture which may include mirin. The mixture makes the light colored
kanpyō turn brown, before being used as the ingredient along with sushi
rice in the filling.
Anime:
Kyoko brings some uncut
kanpyōmaki to Soichiro's grave in Maison Ikkoku (ep.52)
Sources:
Fukuda Minori & Kit Shan Li. Sushi: A pocket
Guide p.58
Omae Kinjiro and Tachibana Yuzuru. The Book of
Sushi p.96
Tsuda Nobuko. Sushi Made Easy p.13
- kanten 寒天 or かんてん (The Anime Companion 2 p.41)
- Sources:
Eating in Japan p.139, 151
Hosking, Richard. A Dictionary of Japanese Food p.72)
- Kantō Chihō (Kantō region) 関東地方 OLD FORM 關東地方 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.61)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.744
- Kantō Daisinsai (Tōkyō Earthquake of 1923) 関東大震災 OLD
FORM 關東大震災 (The Anime Companion 2 p.41)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.
1595
Kurosawa Akira. Something Like an Autobiography p.47ff
KANTŌ QUAKE see: Kantō Daisinsai (The Anime Companion 2 p.41)
KANTŌ REGION see: Kantō chihō (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.61)
- kappa 河童 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.61)
- Sources:
A Look Into Japan p.104
Vardaman, James M. and Michiko Sakaki Vardaman Japan From A to Z p.89
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.745
KAPPA ROLL see: kappamaki
- kappamaki かっぱまき or
河童巻き
- In English this is commonly called a kappa roll, a type
of makizushi with sliced lightly
pickled cucumber, (kyūri The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.78)
in the middle, or at times whole Japanese cucumber which is much thinner
than the Western kind. The name comes from a tradition that kappa (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.61) like cucumbers, as a result of
this the sushi-shop word for cucumber is kappa.
Manga:
Konatsu is given an uncut kappamaki laced with a drug in Ranma
1/2 (v.33 p.142)
Sources:
Hosking, Richard. A Dictionary of Japanese Food p.72-73, 88
Fukuda Minori & Kit
Shan Li. Sushi: A pocket Guide p.56
Suetsugu, Bobby. Samurai Sushi p.134
- kappōgi (cooking apron) かっぽう着 or 割烹着 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.62)
- Sources:
Joya, Mock. Mock Joya's Things Japanese p.41
- kappuru kissa (couples cafe) カップル喫茶
- A type of sex club that only allows entrance to
couples. Sexual activity is encouraged and there is no privacy as
peeping and even mingling is also encouraged.
Manga:
Hikaru and Makotoi go into the Mezzo Piano kappuru kissa, translated as
a "couples tea house", as part of their hunt for a killer in IWGP:
Ikebukuro West Gate Park (v.1 p.139-)
Sources:
Sinclair, Joan Pink Box: Inside Japan’s Sex Clubs p.164, 186, 187
- kapuseru hoteru (capsule
hotel) カプセル ホテル
- Capsule hotels are the ultimate in minimal
hotel service. The clients for capsule hotels is mainly traveling
businessmen on a strict budget, workers who have missed the last train
or those who wish to economize. For these reasons they are almost always
located near train stations. Each consists of aisles of small rooms, roughly 2x1x1 meters (6x3x3 feet), stacked one on top of the other. Each
room is floored with a mattress and includes a TV set, radio, light and
clock. A ladder built into the wall is used to climb into rooms that are
off the floor. Lockers and shower facilities are provided, some even
have saunas and restaurants. A few capsule hotels have rooms reserved
for women or only accept women. It is also possible to rent rooms by the
hour for napping. Food, drink and smoking are not allowed in the
rooms.
Anime:
In the opening animation sequence for the
first season of the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex TV
series the Major wakes in a capsule hotel after the dream with the
doll.
George, who has limited funds, stays in a capsule hotel in
Sendai in Kaze no Yojimbo (ep.5)
Sources:
De
Mente, Boye Lafayette. Japan Encyclopedia p. 60
Japanese
Inn and Travel p. 30)
KARA see: okara (The Anime Companion 2 p.67)
- kara-age (deep frying) からあげ or
空揚げ
- A technique for deep frying food, often the ingredients are dusted with seasoned flour. This method is usually used for fish and chicken, sometimes it is used for vegetables.
Anime:
Kara-age is translated as fried vegetables, in both Urusei Yatsura (ep.99) and MahoRomatic (ep.2)
Sources:
Hosking, Richard. A Dictionary of Japanese Food p.73
- Kara-kasa (umbrella yōkai) 唐傘
-
A yōkai that takes the form of a paper umbrella (see: kasa; The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.62) with a leg, usually hairy wearing a wooden sandal (see: geta; The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.34), instead of a handle; a single eye (occasionally two) and mouth with a long tongue, sometimes it has two arms. This popular yōkai is rather harmless preferring to playfully scare people rather than do serious damage. It is classed as a type of tsukumogami (spirit of a made object).
Anime:
A one eyed Kara-kasa with a very long tongue is seen during the parade sequence in Pom Poko.
Manga:
A one eyed Kara-kasa, carrying his own umbrella is seen in Dr Slump (v.10 p.172).
Sources:
Yoda Hiroko and Matt Alt. Yokai Attack! The Japanese Monster Survival Guide p.106-109.
KARAKASA see also: kasa (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.62)
- karaoke カラオケ (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.62)
- Sources:
Illustrated Living Japanese Style p.84-
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.746-7
Japanese Family and Culture p.140-
Vardaman, James M. and Michiko Sakaki Vardaman Japanese Etiquette Today p.74
- karashi (mustard) からし or 芥子 (The Anime Companion 2 p.41)
- Sources:
Ashburne, John & Abe Yoshi World Food Japan p.253, 262
Hosking, Richard. Dictionary of Japanese Food p.73
- karasu (crow) 烏 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.62)
- Sources:
Joya, Mock. Mock Joya's Things Japanese p.142
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.258
- karē (curry) カレー (The Anime Companion 2 p.41)
- Sources:
Items found in San Francisco Bay Area Japanese markets.
Hosking, Richard. A Dictionary of Japanese Food p.74
- karē raisu (curry rice) カレーライス (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.62)
- Sources:
Vardaman, James M. and Michiko Sakaki Vardaman Japan From A to Z p.31
Eating in Japan p.76
- karesansui (sand garden) 枯山水
- A sand garden, literally the term means "dry mountain stream". Such gardens contain large stones, relatively few plants and have sand as well as gravel raked and formed to create impressions of streams and the sea. This style of garden became formalized in the Muromachi Period (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.90) especially in Zen Buddhist (The Anime Companion 2 p.122) temples and monasteries. Chinese ink paintings of mountains and dry riverbeds are considered a major influence on the development of the design elements of such gardens. Famous gardens include that of Ryōanji and the abbot's quarters at Daisen'in in Kyōto (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.77).
Anime:
Such a sand garden is part of the larger garden at Jojo's home in Jojo's Bizarre Adventure (ep.1) and one is also seen in the first episode of Doomed Megalopolis.
Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.441-443
Illustrated A Look Into Japan p.15
- karintō かりんとう
- A snack made from a mixture of wheat flour, eggs and sugar. The mixture is made into strips and fried, then white or brown sugar is sprinkled on them.
Manga:
In Doing Time (p.43) Hanawa recounts his time in detention awaiting trial and snacking on karintō in his cell.
Sources:
Illustrated Eating in Japan p.135
KARITEI see: Kishibojin
KARITEIMO see: Kishibojin
KARUTA HAJIME see: uta karuta (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.144)
- kasa (umbrella) 傘 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.62)
- Sources:
Discover Japan v.1 p.30
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.1652
KASHI see: wagashi (traditional confections)
- kashibonya (manga rental shops) 貸し本屋
- Manga (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.80) rental libraries. Shops that rent volumes of manga. This type of business began in the 1920s and lasted into the 1960s. Many famous manga artists of the 1950s and 60s wrote for publishers supplying this market. It was this market that helped expand the market for manga to include more works for teens and adults, most notably in the gekiga genre. A few shops still exist today, I have even seen manga, in Japanese, for rent in a video store in Japantown in San Jose California.
Manga:
Tezuka in the introduction to a story in Astro Boy (v.9 p.112) mentions 'manga pay libraries' in relation to gekiga.
Sources:
Gravett, Paul. Manga: Sixty Years of Japanese Comics p40
Lent, John A. "Japanese Comics" in Handbook of Japanese Popular Culture p.226
- kashira 頭 (The Anime Companion 2 p.42)
- Sources:
Yumoto, John M. The Samurai Sword. p.84
Warner, Gordon and Donn F. Draeger Japanese Swordsmanship: Technique and Practice p.105
- kashiwade 柏手 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.63)
- Sources:
Basic Terms of Shintō (1958) p.30
Vardaman, James M. and Michiko Sakaki Vardaman Japan From A to Z p.97
Bocking, Brian. A Popular Dictionary of Shintō p.90
- kashiwa mochi かしわもち or 柏餅 OLD FORM 柏餠 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.63)
- Sources:
Hosking, Richard. A Dictionary of Japanese Food p.74
Eating in Japan p.131
- kashiya (traditional
confectionary) 菓子屋
- A store specializing in wagashi (traditional confections). These shops, which still exist today, originated in the Genroku jidai in Edo (The Anime Companion 2 p.18), Ōsaka (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.102) and Kyōto (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.77). They are sometimes also found outside of Japan, for example Nippon-ya in San Francisco's Japantown neighborhood.
Anime:
In Millennium Actress, during the argument between her mother and the movie producer, we find that Chiyoko's family business in Tōkyō (The Anime Companion 2 p.104) is a kashiya, translated in the subtitles as "sweetshop".
In episode seven of Peacemaker Okita Sōji (The Anime Companion 2 p.68) and Hijikata Toshizō (The Anime Companion 2 p.28) go to a kashiya.
Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.221
- kasō (cremation) 火葬 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.63)
- Sources:
Vardaman, James M. and Michiko Sakaki Vardaman Japan From A to Z p.30
Japanese Family and Culture p.109
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.254
- kasō (geomancy) 家相 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.64)
- Sources:
Joya, Mock. Mock Joya's Things Japanese p.79
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.750
- kata (form or sequence) 形 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.64)
- Sources:
Frederic, Louis. Dictionary of the Martial Arts p.104
De Mente, Boye
Lafayette. Behind the Japanese Bow
Condon, John and Keisuke
Kurata. In Search of What's Japanese About Japan p.109-
- katabira (unlined kimono) 帷子
- A simple unlined kimono. Plain white katabira are used to dress a corpse. These were made in a simple kimono (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.68) pattern with no lining. On occasion you may see a katabira with kanji (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.61) written on them, this writing is text from Buddhist sutras and this type of katabira is called a kyōkatabira.
Manga:
In
Lone Wolf and Cub (v.15 p.297) we see a strange ceremony with a man dressed in katabira with a hitaikakushi on his forehead.
In Kaze Hikaru (v.3 p.41) Kamiya wears a deep red katabira as part of a strategy.
Sources:
Dalby, Liza. Kimono: Fashioning Culture p.318
Screech, Tim. "Japanese Ghosts", Mangajin No. 40 p.15
KATAKANA see: kana (syllabary) (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.60)
KATAMI GUSA YOTSUYA KAIDAN see: Tōkaidō Yotsuya Kaidan (Ghost Story of Tōkaidō Yotsuya)
KATAMINO see: mino (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.84)
- Katō Kiyomasa 加藤清正 (The Anime Companion 2 p.42)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.754
Turnbull, Stephen. The Samurai Sourcebook p.51
KATORI SHINTŌ-RYŪ see: Tenshin Shōden
Katori Shintō-ryū
- katorisenko 蚊取線香
-
Coils of insect repellant incense. The repellant used in making these
coils is from the pyrethrum chrysanthemum. Pyrethrum was introduced to
Japan in 1885 by Americans, the Japanese developed the coiled pattern
for the incense. The most common form of incense burner for katorisenko
is in a squat pig shaped design. you will see the burner far more often
in anime and manga than you will see the coils themselves. The odor of
katorisenko is associated with summer in the minds of many Japanese. You
can even find them for sale outside Japan, I have seen them in hardware
stores in California.
Anime:
In Chobits (ep.14) we
see katorisenko inside a pig shaped incense burner
Manga:
Two of the manga we see katorisenko in include: Dr. Slump (v.12 p.177) and Shadow Star: Shadows of the Past p.128
Sources:
Kiritani, Elizabeth. Vanishing Japan p.140
KATSU AWA see: Katsu Kaishu (The Anime Companion 2 p.42)
- Katsu Kaishū 勝海舟 OLD FORM incorrect in the book as 勝海舟. I
cannot reproduce the correct form here. (The Anime Companion 2 p.42)
- Sources:
Jansen, Marius B. Sakamoto Ryōma and the Meiji Restoration p.406
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.755
KATSU RINTARŌ see: Katsu Kaishu (The Anime Companion 2 p.42)
KATSU YASUYOSHI see: Katsu Kaishu (The Anime Companion 2 p.42)
- katsudon (pork cutlet donburi) カツどん or カツ丼 (The Anime Companion 2 p.42)
- Sources:
Nagasawa Kimiko
& Camy Condon. Eating Cheap in Japan p. 16-17
Eating
in Japan p.165
Hosking, Richard. Dictionary of Japanese Food p.75
- katsuobushi (dried bonito) かつおぶし or 鰹節 (The Anime Companion 2 p.43)
- Sources:
Eating in Japan p.152
Hosking, Richard. Dictionary of Japanese Food p.76, 200
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.756
KATSURA KOGORŌ see: Kido Takayoshi (The Anime Companion 2 p.46)
- Katsuragawa Geango 葛川夏安居 (The Anime Companion 2 p.43)
- Sources:
Stevens, John. The Marathon Monks
of Mount Hiei p.83
- Kawabata Yasunari 川端康成 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.64)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.760)
KAWANISHI NAVY TYPE 2 FLYING-BOAT (H8K) see: Emily (aircraft)
(The Anime Companion 2 p.19)
KAWANISHI NAVY TRANSPORT FLYING-BOAT (H8K2-L) see: Emily (aircraft)
(The Anime Companion 2 p.19)
- kawara (roof tiles) 瓦 (The Anime Companion 2 p.43)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.1275
- kawaraban 瓦版
-
News sheets from the Edo Period (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.25). The name means "roof-tile print", the early one's were
printed with engraved kawara (The Anime Companion 2 p.43), later the tiles were replaced with wood blocks. The earliest known
example is from 1615 in Kyōto (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.77) announcing the victory of Tokugawa Ieyasu (The Anime Companion 2 p.102) over Toyotomi Hideyori at the Ōsaka no Jin (Battle of Ōsaka Castle). During
the Edo Period they were popular and sold on the street. Kawaraban could
be quickly produced if a sudden news story became an opportunity to sell
papers, much like an extra edition of a paper in the West. A common way
to attract customers was to read a portion out loud, what came to be
called "to sell by reading" or yomiuri. The kawaraban faded away in the
early Meiji Period (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.81) as
Western style newspapers came into existence. It is interesting to note
that one of the largest present day newspapers is named the Yomiuri Shimbun.
Manga:
In Blade of the Immortal: Beasts (pt.3) Shinriji mentions reading
in a kawaraban about a samurai (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.110) who killed a hundred cops.
Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.764
Mock Joya's Things Japanese p.711-12
- Kawasaki 川崎市
- A city in
Kanagawa Ken (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.60) located on
the Tamagawa river between Tōkyō (The Anime Companion 2 p.104) and Yokohama (The Anime Companion 2 p.117). Kawasaki was a post station town (shukuba
machi (The Anime Companion 2 p.89) on the Tōkaidō (The Anime Companion 2 p.101) during the Edo Period (Edo
Jidai The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.25) and the temple town for
Kawasaki Daishi. During the Taisho Period (Taishō jidai; The Anime Companion 2 p.95) land reclaimed from Tokyo Bay (Tōkyō
Wan; The Anime Companion 2 p.105) was developed for industry.
During the years after W.W.II this area was further developed into a
significant manufacturing center with one of the largest sea ports in
Japan. Kawasaki is also known for the Yomiuri
Land amusement park and for an extensive fūzoku (sex industry) especially it's
soaplands (sōpurando; The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.125).
The popular matto sābisu (mat
service) is said to have originated here in the Horinouchi area.
Anime:
In City Hunter 2 (ep.19) Kinzou Takamori lives
in the Kawasaki area.
In My Fair Masseuse Moko-chan commutes
to her job in a soapland in Kawasaki.
The industrial parts of
Kawasaki are mentioned or seen in Patlabor TV (ep.43), Patlabor 1, and Bubblegum Crisis (Ep. 2)
Sources:
Constantine, Peter, Japan's Sex Trade p.35
De Mente, Boye Lafayette. Japan Encyclopedia p. 281
De Mente, Boye Lafayette. Sex and the Japanese p.149
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.765
Road Atlas
Japan p.195 E-6
Tokyo City Atlas p.76, 80, 81
Tokyo Metropolitan Atlas p.109 J-2
Web Site:
Welcome to Kawasaki
City
- kayu (rice porridge) かゆ or 粥 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.65)
- Sources:
Eating in Japan p.63, p.85
Hosking, Richard. A Dictionary of Japanese Food p.77
KAZARI KUMADE see: kumade (The Anime Companion 2 p.51)
- kei (bell) 磬 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.65)
- Sources:
Inagaki, Hisao. A Dictionary of Japanese Buddhist Terms p.172
KEIO PLAZA HOTEL see: Keiō Puraza Hoteru (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.65)
- Keiō Puraza Hoteru (Keio Plaza Hotel) 京王プラザホテル (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.65)
- Sources:
A Look Into Tokyo p.148, 152
Web Site:
Keio Plaza Inter-Continental
Tokyo
- keisaku or kyōsaku (Zen stick) 警策 (The Anime Companion 2 p.44)
- Sources:
Look Into Japan p.66
Nishimura Eshin. Unsui p.55
Suzuki Daisetz Teitaro. The Training of the Zen Buddhist Monk p.111
- Keishichō (Tōkyō Metropolitan Police Department) 警視庁
(The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.65)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.1598
A Look Into Tokyo p.96
Web site:
Metropolitan Police Department Homepage
- Keizai Kikaku Chō (Economic Planning Agency) 経済企画庁
(The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.66)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.310
- kekkaku (tuberculosis) 結核 (The Anime Companion 2 p.44)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.286
Lock, Margaret M. East Asian Medicine in Urban Japan p,90
KELP see: konbu (The Anime Companion 2 p.48)
- kemari (Japanese football) 蹴鞠 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.66)
- Sources:
Joya, Mock. Mock Joya's Things Japanese p.516
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.770
KEMPŌ see: kenpō (The Anime Companion 2 p.44)
- ken (prefecture) 県 OLD FORM 縣 (The Anime Companion 2 p.44)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.1224
De Mente, Boye Lafayette. Japan
Encyclopedia p. 403
For a list of all the ken see: GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURE/LOCATION - KEN (PREFECTURES) in the subject index.
- kendama (cup and ball toy) 拳玉 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.66)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.1618
- kendō ("way of the sword") 剣道 OLD FORM 劍道 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.66)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.772
A Look Into Tokyo p.93
Vardaman, James M. and Michiko Sakaki Vardaman Japan From A to Z p.62
Parker, L. Craig. The Japanese Police System Today p.69
- ken'etsu (censorship) 検閲 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.66)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.170
- kenjutsu (swordsmanship) 剣術 OLD FORM 劍術 (The Anime Companion 2 p.45)
- Sources:
Draeger, Donn F. Classical Bujutsu p.66-68
Warner, Gordon and Donn F. Draeger Japanese Swordsmanship: Technique and Practice p.14
- kenpō (way of the fist) 拳法 (The Anime Companion 2 p.44)
- Sources:
Martial Arts & Sports in Japan p.170
Frederic, Louis. Dictionary of the Martial Arts p.110
Guttmann and Thompson. Japanese Sports a
History p. 61
- kenrikin (key money) 権利金
- Key money, sometimes called reikin (fee money) or shakin (honorarium). A fee, usually nonrefundable, paid to landlords by tenants. While there is no legal requirement to pay such a fee it is hard to avoid if the landlords insists. For commercial rents it is often tied to the desirability of the location and for residences may actually be an advance on the rent or part of an agreement to allow transfer of the lease to another tenant.
Anime:
Maiko lucks out and gets an apartment in the building next to Ryo's without having to pay key money in City Hunter 2 (ep.56)
Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.775
Vardaman, James M. and Michiko Sakaki Vardaman Japan From A to Z p.62
- keppan (blood seal) 血判
-
A blood seal. A special way of sealing a document with a fingerprint in
blood from the person sealing the document, such a seal would accompany
a signature. Originating as far back as the 14th century the keppan was
used for special contracts and ceremonial documents. In the Sengoku
jidai (Warring States Period; The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.113) it became popular with samurai (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.110) for such documents as oaths of loyalty and death poems.
During the Edo Period (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.25)
it was adopted by other classes and came to also be used to seal pledges
between lovers. Often the blood was drawn from a finger, prostitutes, who were known for doing such pledges for more than one client, would
sometimes use a toothpick to make the gums bleed rather than poking
their fingers. Even today some martial arts ryū (The Anime Companion 2 p.75) will require written vows sealed with a keppan.
Manga:
In Lone Wolf and Cub (v.3 p.167) the document accusing Ōgami is "signed
in blood". Later in, volume 26 (p.17-18), we see conspirators sign and seal a "blood pledge".
Sources:
Frederic, Louis. Daily Life in Japan at the Time of the Samurai p.45
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.775
Seigle, Cecilia Segawa. Yoshiwara: The Glittering World of the Japanese
Courtesan p.191
Skoss, Diane, ed. Koryu Bujutsu: Classical Warrior Traditions of Japan p.164
- ketsueki-gata (blood type) 血液型 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.67)
- Sources:
Saphir, Ann. "Ketsueki-gata: Japan's Answer to 'What's Your Sign?'"Mangajin No 41 December 1994 pp.14-19, 50, 87.
KEY MONEY see: kenrikin (key money)
- keyaki (zelkova) 欅 (The Anime Companion 2 p.45)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.1771-1772
Short, Kevin. Nature in Tokyo p.167
- kezuribushi (shaved dried bonito) けずりぶし or 削り節 (The Anime Companion 2 p.45)
- Sources:
Hosking, Richard. A Dictionary of Japanese Food p.78
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.756
Outlook on Japan p.141
- ki (spirit, life force) 気 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.67)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.775
Frederic, Louis. Dictionary of the Martial Arts p.122
- ki-ai (shout) 気合 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.68)
- Sources:
Frederic, Louis. Dictionary of the Martial Arts p.124
- kibidango きびだんご or 黍団子 OLD FORM 黍團子 (The Anime Companion 2 p.45)
- Sources:
Hosking, Richard. A Dictionary of Japanese Food p.78
Japanese Inn &
Travel p. 137
- Kichijōji 吉祥寺
-
Today Tokyo (The Anime Companion 2 p.104) has two
Kichijōji. A famous temple located in present day Bunkyō-ku and a portion of Musashino-Shi.
The temple, founded by Ōta Dōkan, had been moved from its original
location to Surugadai in order to make room for the construction of Edo
castle (Edojō; The Anime Companion 2 p.18). After the
Long-Sleeves fire of 1657 destroyed a portion of central Edo (The Anime Companion 2 p.18) the temple was relocated to it's
present location and the merchants who had lived in the area of the
temple were relocated to the outskirts of the city. The name Kichijōji
came with the merchants and this name has also been used to speak of
this area, in what is today Musashino-Shi, ever since.
Anime and
Manga:
Much of GTO takes place in the area known as
Kichijōji in Musashino-Shi.
Anime:
Kuno is sent to the
GP branch in Kichijoji in Otaku no Video (pt.2 3rd animation
sequence)
Sources:
Tokyo City Atlas 50 B6
Waley, Paul. Tokyo: City of Stories p.67
Waley, Paul. Tokyo Now & Then: An Explorer's Guide p.337
KICKING A GETA TO PREDICT THE WEATHER see: geta-uranai
KIDO KŌIN see: Kido Takayoshi (The Anime Companion 2 p.46)
- Kido Takayoshi 木戸孝允 OLD FORM 木戶孝允 (The Anime Companion 2 p.46)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.776
- kidōtai (riot police) 機動隊 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.68)
- Sources:
Condon, Jack and Camy
Condon. The Simple Pleasures of Japan p.37
KID'S PLATE see: okosama-ranchi (The Anime Companion 2 p.68)
KIGAN see: Inori (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.49)
- Kiheitai (irregular militia) 奇兵隊 (The Anime Companion 2 p.46)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.777
- kiku (chrysanthemum) 菊 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.68)
- Sources:
Joya, Mock. Mock Joya's Things Japanese p.393
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.200
KIM CHE see: kimuchi (kim chi)
KIMMON INCIDENT see: Hamaguri Gomon no Hen (The Anime Companion 2 p.26)
KIMMON NO HEN see: Hamaguri Gomon no Hen (The Anime Companion 2 p.26)
- kimodameshi (soul
examination, test of nerve) 肝試し
- Soul examination, a kind
of game intended to be a test of nerve. A traditional form of this would
involve placing flags in a cemetery or other place rumored to be
haunted. Then ghost stories would be told, after each story a frightened
participant would have to retrieve a flag.
Anime:
In
GTO (ep. 41) when asked about the class event he has planned
Onizuka says that it's Summer which means kimodameshi. Summer is the
traditional time to tell spooky stories in Japan.
Sources:
Stevenson, John. Yoshitoshi’s Strange Tales p.12
- kimono 着物 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.68)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.780-783
Living Japanese Style p.17
KIMONO see also: katabira (unlined
kimono)
- kimuchi (kim chi) キムチ
- A
spicy hot Korean pickle made with red pepper and often hakusai (Chinese cabbage), cucumber
(kyūri; The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.78) or other
vegetables. The cucumber variety can be labor intensive as it involves
stuffing short lengths of cucumber with finely shredded carrot (ninjin;
The Anime Companion 2 p.63) and vegetables. If you are seeing a
scene where yakiniku is being eaten look for a small serving of
kimuchi.
Manga:
Kimchi is part of a lunch in Doing
Time (p.46)
Sources:
Illustrated Eating in Japan p.50
Kimchi bought in local Korean markets.
KIN see: kei (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.65)
- kinako (soybean flour) きなこ or
黄粉
- A flour made from roasted and dried soybeans. One of the
uses is as an ingredient in a topping for mochi (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.87) and wagashi
(traditional confections).
Manga:
Kinako served with
abekawamochi is seen in Doing
Time (p.120)
Sources:
Hosking, Richard. A Dictionary of Japanese Food p.78
Illustrated Eating in Japan p.148
KINDERGARTEN see: shūgakuzen kyōiku (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.124)
- kingyo (goldfish) 金魚 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.68)
- Sources:
Joya, Mock. Mock Joya's Things Japanese p.152
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.465
- kingyo-sukui (goldfish dipping) 金魚すくい (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.68)
- Sources:
A Look Into Japan p.94
Japanese Family and Culture p.87
Must-See in Nikko p.103
- Kinkakuji (Temple of the Golden Pavilion) 金閣寺 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.69)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.784
Must-See in
Kyoto p.100
Vardaman, James M. and Michiko Sakaki Vardaman
Japan From A to Z p.63
Who's Who of Japan p.60
KINKO see: namako
KINPACHI SENSEI see: San-nen
B-gumi Kinpachi Sensei
- kinpira-gobō きんぴらごぼう or 金平牛蒡 (The Anime Companion 2 p.46)
- Sources:
Eating in Japan p.
171
Nagasawa Kimiko & Camy Condon. Eating Cheap in Japan p. 48, 49
Hosking, Richard. A Dictionary of Japanese Food p.79
Ashburne, John and Abe Yoshi. World Food Japan p.207
(includes recipe)
KINSU see: kei (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.65)
- Kintarō 金太郎 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.69)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.788
KIRAZU see: okara (The Anime Companion 2 p.67)
KIRIN BREWERIES LTD. see: bīru (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.10)
- kirisute gomen
(permission to kill) 切捨御免
- Permission to kill. During the
Edo Period (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.25)
samurai (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.110) had the legal
right to kill commoners who had been highly offensive. This was
especially the case where the honor of a samurai was at stake. After
such a killing it had to be reported to the authorities who would
determine if the killing had been justified or excessive. If the killing
was judged excessive the samurai would be punished.
Manga:
In Lone Wolf and Cub (vol. v.14 p.96) we learn
that the official message carriers known as o-shichiri were granted a
limited form of kirisute gomen which they could use against those
hindering their duties.
Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.790
- Kirisutokyō (Christianity) キリスト教 OLD FORM キリスト敎 or as 基督教
OLD FORM 基督敎 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.69)
- Sources:
Outlook on Japan p.137-8
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.198, 718
- kiseru (tobacco pipe) 煙管 or きせる (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.70)
- Sources:
Joya, Mock. Mock Joya's Things Japanese p.285
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.1564
- kisha kurabu (press clubs) 記者クラブ
- Organizations of journalists who cover specific
government offices and the police. The term is also applied to the rooms
used by such groups. Membership in such groups is required for access to
press briefings giving the group the power to decide if a story gets
covered ot not. This type of organization dates back to the late 19th
century with the founding of the Gikai Deiri Kishadan (Diet Journalist
Club).
Manga:
A very unintimidated reporter asks Captain
Gomi if he has been banned from the fire department press club in
Firefighter Daigo of Fire Company M (v. 3 p.183)
Sources:
De Mente, Boye Lafayette. Japan Encyclopedia p. 404 Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.1225
- Kishibojin 鬼子母神
- Sometimes known as Kishimojin, Kariteimo and Karitei, from Hārītī
her original Sanskrit name. Kishibojin was originally a demonic woman
with hundreds of children, one account says 500 another 1,000. She
abducted and ate the children of other women. To stop her from doing
this the Buddha took and hid her youngest child, after learning the
grief as mother suffers from the loss of a child she repented, converted
to Buddhism (see: Bukkyō; The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.15) and vowed to only eat pomegranates (see: zakuro The Anime Companion 2 p.121) . She is venerated as a protector of
children, deity of childbirth and of fertility. Childless women and
women with many children often visit her temples. She is also considered
a protector of the Lotus sutra and for that reason her depiction is
found in Nichirenshū (Nichiren
sect) temples. Images of her often have her holding a pomegranate in
one hand and a child in the other.
Anime:
In Sword for
Truth the Kishibojin Goddess is Oren's nickname and she has a large
tattoo (see: irezumi; The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.50) of
Kishibojin, before her conversion about to eat, covering her back
Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.791
Joya, Mock. Mock Joya's Things Japanese p.401
Matsunami Kodo. Essentials of Buddhist Images p.111
Waley, Paul. Tokyo Now
& Then p.344-45
KISHIBOJIN CHARM see: susuki-mimizuku
(owl charm)
KISHIMOJIN see: Kishibojin
KISO KAIDŌ see: Nakasendō (The Anime Companion 2 p.60)
KISOJI see: Nakasendō (The Anime Companion 2 p.60)
KISS see: kisu (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.71)
- kissaten (coffeehouse) 喫茶店 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.70)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.211
Outlook on Japan p.66
Condon, Jack
and Camy Condon. The Simple Pleasures of Japan p.27, 55
Condon, John and Keisuke Kurata. In Search of What's Japanese About
Japan p.104
KISSHŌTEN see: Shichifuku-jin (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.117)
- kisu (fish) きすor 鱚
-
Two related species, sillago sihama and sillago japonica. Also known as
sand borer and whiting. A sea fish found in shallow sandy areas and bays
as far North as Southern Hokkaido (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.46). This fish is said to be tastiest in the summer. While
cooked in several ways including tenpura (The Anime Companion 2 p.99) roasting kisu with salt is a common technique for preparing
it. It is also used in sushi (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.128) and sashimi (The Anime Companion 2 p.79)
Anime:
Belldandy mishears when Keiichi says kiss to himself
and thinks he is referring to the kisu fish. Ah! My Goddess TV
series (ep.5)
Sources:
Ashburne, John & Abe Yoshi. World Food Japan p.263
Hosking, Richard. A Dictionary of Japanese Food p.80)
Kamohara Toshiji. Fishes of Japan in
Color p.77-78
- kisu (kiss) キス (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.71)
- Sources:
Bornoff, Nicholas. Pink
Samurai p.64
- Kita-ku 北区
- Located East
of Itabashi-ku, North of both Toshima-ku and Bunkyō-ku, West of both Arakawa-ku (The Anime Companion 2 p.6) and Adachi-ku (The Anime Companion 2 p.3) separated on the North from Saitama Ken by the
Arakawa and Sumidagawa (The Anime Companion 2 p.93)
rivers. Kita-ku is noted for manufacturing, mainly textiles, metal, chemicals and printing. It also has housing complexes. This ku was
formed in the 1930s by merging two older ones, the Eastern was mainly
residential and the Western industrial.
Manga:
Hikaru
attends the Kita Ward 3rd Annual Winter Middle School Go Tournament in
Hikaru no Go (v.2 p.37).
Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.796
Seidensticker, Edward. Tokyo
Rising p.170
Tokyo City Atlas p.41, 49, 50
Tokyo
Metropolitan Atlas p.40-41
Web Site:
Official site English section
- kitamakura (pillow to the
North) 北枕
- There is an ancient custom in Japan of placing a
corpse with the head to the north for funeral services. This custom is
still followed today so when you see a body laid out for services you
know the head is always to the North. Because of this custom it is
considered very unlucky to sleep with your head in this direction.
Anime:
In Peacemaker (ep 19) we see a body laid out
for viewing and without being told so we know the head is to the
north.
Sources:
Illustrated Japanese Family &
Culture p.107
Illustrated Living Japanese Style p.136
Vardaman, James M. and Michiko Sakaki Vardaman. Japan from A to Z p.83
KITCHEN ROBE see: kappogi (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.62)
KITES see: tako-age (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.132)
KITŌ see: inori (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.49)
- kitsune (fox) 狐 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.71)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.406, 598
A Look Into Japan p.105
Vardaman, James M. and Michiko Sakaki Vardaman Japan From A to Z p.45
- kitsune no yomeiri (fox giving the
bride, fox wedding procession) 狐の嫁入り
- Literally "fox
(kitsune) giving the bride", this term is often translated as "the fox
wedding procession." Foxes usually mate for life so the idea of foxes, who are credited with supernatural abilities having very human like
marriage customs is not that unusual. There are even accounts of people
mistaking the procession for an actual human one, even of ferrymen
tricked into taking foxes disguised temporarily in human form across a
river. The term is also used when it rains on a sunny day. At night kitsunebi are associated with such
processions.
Anime:
Such a procession is seen in Pom
Poko with lanterns (chōchin The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.19) on high poles carried by those accompanying the bride and
later one of the drunks talking about kitsune at the yatai (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.147) uses the term kitsune no
yomeiri.
Sources:
Casal, U.A. "The Goblin Fox and Badger
and Other Witch Animals of Japan" in Asian Folklore Studies v.18
(1959) p.30
Nozaki, Kiyoshi. Kitsuné: Japan's Fox of Mystery, Romance, and Humor p.191-198
Smyers, Karen A. Fox and the
Jewel p.233. n33
- kitsune nyōbō (fox wife) 狐女房
- A fox (kitsune) wife. There are several tales of foxes transforming
themselves into women out of gratitude for a kindness shown to them by a
man and becoming his wife until they are later found out to be foxes and
have to leave, often leaving children behind. Kuzunoha, the mother of Abe no Seimei, is said to have
been such a fox.
Manga:
In Here is Greenwood (v.5
p.46) students speculate as to the role a character plays in a bunkasai (cultural festival) production, one mistakenly thinks it is the Fox Wife.
Sources:
Bathgate, Michael Robert. The Shapeshifter Fox p.44-46
- kitsunebi (fox-fire) 狐火
-
According to tradition there were several sources for mysterious fires
at night. Such fires could be kitsunebi created by foxes (kitsune) with
their magical powers. At times the fire is described as originating in
the fox's breath, from a horse hoof or bone held in the mouth, from a
gem possessed by the fox or using the tail. Often they are described as
lines of fires, as in the kitsune no
yomeiri or used by foxes to lure a traveler away from the road. It
is said that such fires could be seen each year near the Ōji
Inari (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.48) Shrine, presently
in Tokyo's Asukayama Park, under a hackberry tree where the foxes of the
Kantō region (Kantō Chihō; The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.61) gathered to change their clothes on New Year's Eve before paying
respects at the shrine. This scene was depicted by several artists
including Hiroshige in the last print in his One Hundred Famous Views
of Edo series.
Manga:
Shippō uses fox fire as a
shield in Inu-Yashu (v.4 p. 112).
Sources:
Casal, U.A. "The Goblin Fox and Badger and Other Witch Animals of Japan" in
Asian Folklore Studies v.18 (1959) p.10-11
Hiroshige One
Hundred Famous Views of Edo pl.118
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.797
Nozaki, Kiyoshi. Kitsuné: Japan's Fox of
Mystery, Romance, and Humor p.181-189
Smyers, Karen A. Fox
and the Jewel p.138-140
Stevenson, John. Yoshitoshi's Strange
Tales p.30
Waley, Paul. Tokyo: City of Stories p.132
- kitsune-tsuki (fox possession) 狐憑き
- Possession by the spirit of a fox. A belief that the
spirits of some foxes could possess people is found throughout Japan.
Symptoms could include erratic behavior, making sounds like a fox, facial features becoming fox like, a greedy appetite for tidbits, a fear
of dogs and people. While all of this is happening the person is capable
of realizing that they are possessed and can request assistance. An
exorcist would threaten and negotiate with the fox spirit to get it to
leave. Exorcists known for dealing with kitsune-tsuki are often
associated with Nichirenshū and
Shingonshū Buddhism. Some temples such as
Honmyōji (Nichirenshū) in Kumamoto and Shinshōji (Shingonshū) in Narita
were famous as places to be treated for kitsune-tsuki.
Anime:
Fox spirit possession is diagnosed by Himiko in the
Vampire Princess Miyu OVA (ep. 1).
Manga:
Fox
possession diagnosed by the psychic in Domu: A Child's Dream.
In Astro Boy (v.18 p.105) Tamao reports a strange thing he has
seen and a local suggested he was possessed by a fox.
Sources:
Casal, U.A. "The Goblin Fox and Badger and Other
Witch Animals of Japan" in Asian Folklore Studies v.18 (1959)
p.31-33
Joya, Mock. Mock Joya's Things Japanese 3rd ed.
p.444
- Kiyokawa Hachirō 清河八郎
- ? - 1863. Born in Shōnai Han, located in Northen Japan, Kiyokawa came from a wealthy family of sake brewers. He became a student
at the Chiba dōjō in Edo (The Anime Companion 2 p.18)
where he earned the right to teach Hokushin Ittō Ryū (The Anime Companion 2 p.28) kenjutsu (The Anime Companion 2 p.45). Kiyokawa also ran a private school where he taught
Confucian philosophy (Jukyō; The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.56). An outspoken critic of the bakufu (The Anime Companion 2 p.8) he sought to gather opponents of the regime. he was one of
the early organizers of the Rōshigumi.
When the Roshigumi reached Mibu
village in Kyōto (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.77)
Kiyokawa called everyone together and attempted to convert the corps
into a pro-imperial organization and had the members sign a letter to
the court. Officials of the bakufu were disturbed by this event, however
Kiyokawa proposed the corps return to Edo to fight the foreigners and
the officials agreed as they saw an opportunity to control the corps
away from Kyoto. Upon returning to Edo Kiyokawa organized about 500 men
to attack and destroy the foreign settlement in Yokohama (The Anime Companion 2 p.117). The government heard of the
plot and ordered the assassination of Kiyokawa which was carried out
while he was on his way home from a drinking party.
Manga:
Kiyokawa's attempt to turn the Rōshigumi into a
pro-Imperial unit and the rejection of this by Kondō Isami (The Anime Companion 2 p.49) and Serizawa Kamo is seen in Kaze
Hikaru (v.3 p.92)
Sources:
Hillsborough, Romulus. Shinsengumi: The Shōgun's Last Samurai Corps p.14-19
KIYOMIZU TEMPLE see: Kiyomizudera (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.71)
- Kiyomizudera 清水寺 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.71)
- Sources:
Must-See in Kyoto p.50
Today's Japan p.93
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.798
- Kōan no eki (Kōan War) 弘安の役 (The Anime Companion 2 p.47)
- Sources:
Frederic, Louis Japan
Encyclopedia p.535-536
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.1000
Turnbull, Stephen The Samurai Sourcebook p.265-266
KŌAN WAR see: Kōan no eki (The Anime Companion 2 p.47)
- kōban (police box) 交番 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.71)
- Sources:
A Look Into Japan p.121
Today's Japan p.77
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.800
Joya, Mock. Mock Joya's Things Japanese p.714
- Kobayashi Issa 小林一茶 (The Anime Companion 2 p.47)
- Sources:
Miner, Earl, et al The Princeton Companion to Classical Japanese Literature p. 185
Who's Who of Japan p. 124
Naito Akira. Edo: The City That Became
Tokyo p. 178
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p. 634
- Kōbe 神戸 [市] the OLD FORM is correct in the book. I
cannot reproduce the correct form here. (The Anime Companion 2 p.47)
- Sources:
De Mente, Boye Lafayette. Japan
Encyclopedia p.287
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.802
Web site:
City of Kobe (official site)
KŌBŌ DAISHI see: Kukai (Kōbō-Daishi)
KOBURISODE see: furisode
KŌCHI HAN see: Tosa han (The Anime Companion 2 p.106)
- Kōchi Ken 高知県 OLD FORM 高知縣 (The Anime Companion 2 p.47)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.803
Web Sites:
Kochi Prefecture (official site)
KŌCHI PREFECTURE see: Kōchi Ken (The Anime Companion 2 p.47)
- Kōda Rohan 幸田 露伴
-
1867-1947 Actual name Kōda Shigeyuki born in Edo (The Anime Companion 2 p.18) near the end of the bakumatsu (The Anime Companion 2 p.8). His family were retainers of the Tokugawa (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.137) shōgun (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.123) handling ceremonies and appointments. The
family chose to stay in Tōkyō (The Anime Companion 2 p.104) thereby losing their position and income when Tokugawa
Yoshinobu (The Anime Companion 2 p.104) resigned as shōgun
and left. After graduating from government sponsored training in
telegraphy Shigeyuki moved to Hokkaidō (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.46) where he worked from 1884 to 1887 when he
returned to Tōkyō and took the pen name Kōda Rohan. Rohan means
"companion of the dew" and is a reference to a poem he wrote describing
walking at night to catch the train for his trip to Tōkyō. He then began
a career of writing fiction, poetry and scholarly works that eventually
won him a position at the Kyōto Imperial University. He was awarded a
doctorate in 1911 and in 1937 he was awarded the Order of Culture. He is
best known in the West for his fiction works, three of which have been
collected into the volume Pagoda, Skull and Samurai.
Anime:
Kōda Rohan is a significant character in Doomed
Megalopolis and at the end we find he is the chronicler of the
events in the story.
Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.805
Koda Rohan. Pagoda, Skull and Samurai p.7-19
KŌDA SHIGEYUKI see: Kōda Rohan
- Kodomo-no-hi (Children's Day) こどもの日 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.72)
- Sources:
Japanese
Family and Culture p.84-
Today's Japan p.63
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.187
A Look Into Japan p.86
KOGAL see: gyaru (gal)
KOGOMI see: kusasotetsu (The Anime Companion 2 p.52)
KOGYARU see: gyaru (gal)
- koi (carp) 鯉 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.72)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.163
- koinobori (carp streamer) 鯉幟 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.72)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.811
Festivals of Japan p.167
Japanese Family and Culture p.84
Vardaman, James M. and
Michiko Sakaki Vardaman Japan From A to Z p.25
KOIZUMI YAKUMO see: Hearn, Lafcadio (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.44)
KŌKEN see: kurogo (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.76)
- Kokkai (Diet) 国会 OLD FORM 國會 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.72)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.282-284
Today's Japan p.166
A Look
Into Tokyo p.94-95
KOKKU SAKKINGU see: ferachio
(fellatio)
- kokkun こっくん
- An
onomatopoeia used for the sound of a gulp, swallow or head suddenly
dropping as in falling asleep. This is sometimes transliterated as
gokkun or kokun. In the fūzoku (sex
industry) this is the term used for a special service available for
a fee where the worker loudly swallows the male customer's ejaculate
after performing fellatio without a condom.
Manga:
While
in the machiai shitsu (meeting
room) at Chiaki's imēji kurabu
(image club) Makoto is confused by several terms on a customer
request form he is given to fill out, kokun being one of them. IWGP:
Ikebukuro West Gate Park (v.2 p.84)
Sources:
Sinclair, Joan. Pink Box: Inside Japan’s Sex Clubs p.186
Millington, Susan. Nihongo Pera Pera! p.82
- kokkuri コックリ or こっくり or 狐狗狸
- A form of fortune telling which became popular in the Meiji
Period (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.81). Originally this
was the Japanese version of American Spiritist table turning. The
practice entered Japan by Japanese apparently observed sailors amusing
themselves with table turning. Evidence exists that this was when a
damaged American ship spent time in Shimoda (The Anime Companion 2 p.85) in Izu. The practice then spread to much of Japan
with different elements introduced by the Japanese. The original
Japanese version involved three sticks tied together at the center with
a round tray on top to form a small three legged table. Each person
would place their hand on top and call upon kokkuri-san. By asking
questions and observing which leg lifted you would get an answer. A
variant uses a medium and placed the legs on a board with the Japanese
syllabary (kana; The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.60) written
on it. The movement of the legs spell out answers. A modern variant is
very similar to a ouiji board.
Anime and Manga:
In GTO (ep.8 and v.4 beginning of lesson 25) we see Onizuka and students using a coin on a board very similar to a ouija board to get answers. In the manga they translate it as ouiji board, in the anime it is still kokkuri-san.
Sources:
Foster, Michael Dylan. Strange Games and Enchanted Science: The Mystery of Kokkuri; The Journal of Asian Studies 65, no.2 (May 2006): 251-275
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.815
- kōkō yakyū (high school baseball) 高校野球 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.73)
- Sources:
Discover
Japan v.1 p.178
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.100, 529
- koku (volume measurement) 石 (The Anime Companion 2 p.47)
- Source:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.816
KŌKŪ JIEITAI see: Jieitai (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.53)
- Kokumin Eiyo Shō (People's Honor
Award) 国民栄誉賞
- The People's Honor Award. In 1977 Prime Minister Fukuda Takeo proposed establishing this award. It is granted to those who have become highly respected by the populace. There is no set schedule for grating the ward and most of the recipients are from sports and entertainment.
Anime:
In Yawara!, starting in episode one and repeated often, Yawara's grandfather states that he aims for her to be awarded the Kokumin Eiyo Shō, translated as the "National Merit Award", for her skills in judo.
Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.1196
- Kokuritsu Kagaku Hakubutsukan (National Science Museum) 国立科学博物館 (The Anime Companion 2 p.48)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.1062
- Kōkyo (Imperial Palace in
Tōkyō) 皇居
- The Imperial Palace in Tōkyō (The Anime Companion 2 p.104) located in Chiyoda Ku (The Anime Companion 2 p.13) has been the official residence of the Emperor
since 1868. The palace is actually the grounds of the former Edojō
(Edo castle) (The Anime Companion 2 p.18). The portion of the
castle that was the residence burned down in a fire in 1873. A
replacement was built in 1888 and it was destroyed in the air raids of
1945. In 1968 the present palace and associated buildings were
completed. Along with the residence proper there are buildings for
several functions such as for state affairs the Omote Gozasho; for
ceremonies the Seiden; for banquets to entertain guests of state the
Hōmeiden; and for evening receptions the Chōwaden. Other buildings
include the Fukiage Gosho, where the widow of the Shōwa Tennō (Shōwa
Emperor) (The Anime Companion 2 p.88) lives and various
offices for the Imperial Household Agency. On New Year's Day and the
Emperor's birthday the public are allowed to visit portions of the
palace grounds.
Anime:
The Imperial Palace and the Nijubashi show up twice in the
City Hunter TV series, the first in City Hunter 2 ( ep.10)
and again in City Hunter '91 (ep.13)
Sources:
Cybriwsky, Roman. Historical Dictionary of Tokyo p.72
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.594
- koma (spinning top) 独楽 OLD FORM 獨樂 (The Anime Companion 2 p.48)
- Sources:
Condon, Jack and
Camy Condon. The Simple Pleasures of Japan p. 93
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.1605
- koma-inu 狛犬 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.73)
- Sources:
Basic Terms of Shintō (1958)
p.34
A Look Into Japan p.20
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.821
Must-See in Kyoto p.133
Must-See in Nikko p.43
Vardaman, James M. and Michiko Sakaki
Vardaman Japan From A to Z p.103
- Komiketto (Comiket) コミケット (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.73)
- Sources:
Schodt, Frederik. Dreamland Japan p.40
Web Site:
The Official Comic Market Site
KOMOSŌ see: komusō
- komusō 虚無僧
- Originally
called komosō, or straw hat priests, a type of wandering shakuhachi (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.116) playing beggar in the 16th century. Later the name was changed to komusō, or priests of nothingness, in the 17th century when the Fukeshū sect of Zen Buddhism (The Anime Companion 2 p.122) was recognized by the bakufu (The Anime Companion 2 p.8). It is easy to spot komusō in anime, manga and movies by their tengai (basket-like
hat), distinctive kesa robe, shakuhachi and a wrapped short sword. The early komusō included many rōnin (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.106) who otherwise would have been desperate for survival. Thousands of them wandered Japan throughout Edo Period (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.25) Japan. Some komusō worked as spies and of course ninja were reputed in popular literature to disguise themselves as komusō.
Anime:
A large group of komusō strangely enough wearing western shoes cross Nihonbashi (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.94) in Samurai Champloo (ep.6)
In Maison Ikkoku (ep.37) Yotsuya-san dresses in the full garb of a komusō with the exception of a paper bag with holes as a substitute for a tengai.
Manga:
In Lone Wolf and Cub (for example: v.1 p.167 and v.10 p.113) we see the garb of a Fukeshū komusō used as a disguise.
Sources:
Cunningham, Don. Secret Weapons of Jujutsu p.20
De Mente, Boye Lafayette. Japan Encyclopedia p. 288
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.1355
Turnbull, Stephen. Ninja AD 1460 - 1650 p.18, 27
Turnbull, Stephen. Samurai Warriors p.156
KOMUSO-GASA see: tengai (basket-like hat)
- Konaki Jiji (old man who cries like a baby) 児啼爺
-
A yōkai which usually looks like an old man and who takes the form of a baby to deceive people into picking it up. Once you pick up Konaki Jiji you cannot put him down and he grows heaver until you are crushed to death.
Anime:
After Ran jumps on Mami and hugs her Mami asks Ran if she is the Konaki Jiji in Super Gals! (ep.22).
Sources:
Yoda Hiroko and Matt Alt. Yokai Attack! The Japanese Monster Survival Guide p.58-61
- konbu (kelp) こんぶ or 昆布 (The Anime Companion 2 p.48)
- Sources:
Eating in Japan p.151
Hosking, Richard. Dictionary of Japanese Food p.82, 206.
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.821
- Kondō Isami 近藤勇 (The Anime Companion 2 p.49)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.823
Who's Who of Japan p.152
- kondōmu (condom) コンドーム (The Anime Companion 2 p.49)
- Sources:
Cherry, Kittredge. Womansword p.122-124
Vardaman, James M. and Michiko Sakaki Vardaman. Japan From A to Z p.17
- kongōshō (vajra) 金剛杵 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.73)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia 134, 135
- kon'in (marriage) 婚姻 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.74)
- Sources:
Vardaman, James M. and Michiko Sakaki Vardaman Japanese Etiquette Today p.95
Vardaman, James M. and Michiko Sakaki Vardaman Japan From A to Z p.68
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.924
- kōnin todoke (Notice of Marriage) 婚姻届
- A legal form for registering a marriage. All two single
adults need to be legally married is to submit a kōnin todoke to the
local government office. They do not even have to deliver the form
during office hours as it can simply be dropped off when the office is
closed. A marriage ceremony is not needed, in fact even with a ceremony
the marriage is not legal until the form has been submitted.
Anime:
In Maison Ikkoku (ep.24) we see a kōnin todoke in Godai's fantasy.
In Please Teacher (ep.3) we see Hyosuke apply his seal (hanko; The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.40) to a kōnin todoke, a moment in which is life is transformed and the plot moves forward as he marries his teacher.
Sources:
Naobumi Abe & Ted Takahashi. The 100% Complete Illustrated Guide to
Japanese Systems p.50-51
- Konishi Yukinaga 小西行長 (The Anime Companion 2 p.49)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.824
Turnbull, Stephen. The Samurai Sourcebook p.51
- Konjaku monogatari 今昔物語
- A collection of over 1000 tales from the late Heian Period (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.44). Legend had it that these had been collected by a nobleman, Minamoto no Takakuni, from tales told him by a traveler. However the tales mention events that took place after Takakuni's death so that view has been discounted. While most of the tales seem to be of an oral nature some are based on Japanese written texts and other on Chinese literary works. many of the tales have strong Buddhist (Bukkyō The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.15) themes. Sixty two of the tales are available in an English translation by Marian Ury under the title of Tales of Times Now Past.
Manga:
In Ogre Slayer (v. 1, first page of chapter 2) there is a quote from the Konjaku Tales.
In Twilight of the Dark Master (p.36) Shizuka mentions that she studied the Konjaku stories in college.
Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.824
Miner, Earl; Odagiri Hiroko and Robert Morrell The Princeton Companion to Classical Japanese Literature p.188
- konnyaku (devil's tongue root) こんにゃく or 蒟蒻 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.74)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.825
- konpei (a type of chain weapon)
- A type of chain weapon with a weight only at one end. The other end had a ring or a kakute and the chain went through a handle consisting of a pipe with a guard . The as the chain slid through the handle the larger ring at the end opposite from the weight kept the chain from falling out when fully extended. The ring could be held in the other hand from the handle to control the length of the chain. The konpei was commonly concealed and used in a surprise attack. Police sometimes used this weapon to capture criminals.
Anime:
Ishimatsu uses a konpei in Samurai Champloo (ep.3) in a fight against Mugen and at other times.
Sources:
Mol, Serge. Classical Weaponry of Japan p.136-38
- konpeitō 金平糖 (The Anime Companion 2 p.50)
- Sources:
Eating in Japan p.133
KOREAN BBQ RESTAURANTS see: yakiniku-ya (The Anime Companion 2 p.114)
KOREAN DOGS see: koma-inu (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.73)
KOREAN PEPPER see: kōrēgūsu (Korean pepper)
- kōrēgūsu (Korean pepper) 高麗胡椒 or コーレーグース
- A mixture of whole small red chili peppers soaking in awamori (a distilled alcoholic beverage from Okinawa (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.99) and vinegar. Kōrēgūsu is used in Okinawa to add spice to soups.
Anime:
We see small red peppers in a bottle of kōrēgūsu poured on Okinawa soba in Blood + (ep.7).
Sources:
A bottle bought at Akabanaa, an Okinawan goods shop in San Francisco's Japantown.
KORETŌ HYŪGA NO KAMI see: Akechi Mitsuhide
- korokke (croquette) コロッケ (The Anime Companion 2 p.50)
- Sources:
Ashburne, John & Abe Yoshi World Food Japan p.163
Rombauer, Irma S. & Marion Rombauer Becker. Joy of Cooking p.118
- Kōseishō (Ministry of Health and Welfare) 厚生省 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.74)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.969
Today's Japan p.173
Web Site:
Ministry of Health and Welfare web pages
- koshi (palanquin) 輿 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.74)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.832
KOSHIAN see an
KOSHIMINO see: nino (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.84)
- kōsoku dōro (expressway) 高速道路 (The Anime Companion 2 p.50)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.353-354
Road Atlas Japan p.4-13, 16-19
Web Sites:
Nihon Doro Kodan (Japan Highway Public Corporation)
- kosupure (costume play) コスプレ (The Anime Companion 2 p.50)
- Sources:
Cosplay is actually quite well explained in Otaku no Video
Richie, Donald. The Image Factory p,137-149
- kotatsu 炬燵 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.74)
- Sources:
A Look Into Japan p.163
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.833
- koto 琴 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.75)
- Sources:
Discover Japan v.1 p.144
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.834
KOTOJIBŌ see: sasumata (spear fork)
- Kōtō-ku 江東区 OLD FORM 江東區 (The Anime Companion 2 p.50)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.835
Tokyo City Atlas [2nd ed.] p.59, 60, 67
Tokyo Metropolitan Atlas p.18-19
Seidensticker, Edward. Tokyo Rising p.312-313
Web Sites:
Kōtō (official site)
- kotodama (spirit in words) 言霊
- The Shintō (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.121) term for the spiritual power that resides in words. This plays a role in the words chosen in Shintō rituals as beautiful ones were beneficial and some words would have a bad influence. The earliest Japanese texts make reference to this belief. The concept also influences poetry and taboo words (imikotoba) in some circumstances.
Anime and Manga:
In Inu Yasha (ep.2, v.1 ch.3) Kagome is told to use a "word", kotodama in the original Japanese, to subjugate Inu Yasha, but what a powerful word it is.
Sources:
Basic Terms of Shinto p.42-43.
Bocking, Brian. A Popular Dictionary of Shinto p.107-108.
- kotsuzumi 小鼓
- A
type of tsuzumi, usually made from sakura (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.110) or keyaki (The Anime Companion 2 p.45) wood, the skin is made from horsehide. The inside is specially carved to produce the best sound. A kotsuzumi is played by holding it by the cords on the right shoulder with the left hand and on the shoulder. By squeezing the cords the tone can be altered as part of a performance. The cords, which are a little loose, are readjusted between and occasionally during performances.
Anime:
Kotsuzumi and the larger ōtsuzumi are seen in several anime with dancing involved such as the first episode of Gasaraki.
Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.1636
Malm, William P. Traditional Japanese Music and Musical Instruments p.137-139
Wade, Bonnie C. Music in Japan p.109-110
- Kōya-san (Mt. Kōya) 高野山 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.75)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.835
Web site:
Koyasan Shingon Temples
KUBIKIRI ASAEMON see: Yamada
Asaemon
- kuchi-sake-onna (slit-mouthed woman) 口裂け女 or 口さけ女
- The slit mouthed woman is an urban legend which began in 1978 and rapidly spread throughout Japan. The common version of the story is that an attractive woman wearing a surgical mask (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.127) would lurk and accost a child on the way home. She would ask the child if she was beautiful and then remove her mask to expose a grotesque mouth stretching from ear to ear.
Anime:
In Pom Poko when the panicked policemen tries to tell his coworker what he saw he is asked if it was a woman with a "mouth like a shark"s, what is said is kuchi-sake-onna.
Sources:
Foster, Michael Dylan. "The Question of the Slit-Mouthed Woman: Contemporary Legend, the Beauty Industry, and Women’s Weekly Magazines in Japan" SIGNS (Spring 2007) p.699-726
KUDO see: kamado (The Anime Companion 2 p.39)
KUGISHO NAVY SPECIAL ATTACKER OHKA see: Ōka (The Anime Companion 2 p.67)
- kuji (nine magic syllables) 九字 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.75)
- Sources:
Blacker, Carmen. The Catalpa Bow p.244
Waterhouse, David. "Notes on the kuji" In: Religion in Japan, ed by F. Kornicki and I. J. McMullen. p.1- 38
- Kukai (Kōbō-Daishi) 空海
-
774-835 Kukai, who was also known as Kōbō-Daishi 弘法大師, was a Heian Period (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.44) Buddhist priest (bōzu) who became the founder of Shingonshū (The Shingon sect of Buddhism.).
He was from an aristocratic family and born in Byōbugaura in the province of Sanuki, present day Zentsūji in Kanagawa Ken (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.60). He dropped out of the national college and explained his action with an essay denouncing Confucianism (see: Jukyō; The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.56) and Taoism while affirming Buddhism (see: Bukkyō: (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.15). He wandered as a itinerant hermit until 804 when he traveled to China to study mikkyō Esoteric Buddhism (The Anime Companion 2 p.56) under the patriarch Keika (Hui-guo, Hui-kuo), in 806 he returned to Japan with documents certifying him as a master in the esoteric teachings. In 819 he established a Shingon center for training and meditation on Mt. Kōya (see: Kōya-san; The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.75) and in 823 Emperor Saga granted him Tōji, a Buddhist temple in southern Kyōto (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.77) which became the headquarters of Shingon. Kukai is known for many practices other than religious ones. These include skill in calligraphy, sculpting, engineering and lexicography. The later in the compiling of one of the oldest dictionaries of
Japanese. He also traveled extensively in his later life, this along with his earlier travels as resulted in many legends of his visits in much of Japan.
Anime:
Kukai's tomb is seen in Spirit Warrior (ep.1).
In Doomed Megalopolis (ep.2) we hear that "Kohbo-Daishi Kukai" in a dream was told by Nanda the Dragon king to found Ryujin village in Wakayama ken.
Sources:
Illustrated Who’s Who of Japan p.30
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p.839
- kumade (bamboo rake) 熊手 or くまで (The Anime Companion 2 p.51)
- Sources:
Joya, Mock. Mock Joya's Things Japanese p.435
Pictorial Encyclopedia of Japanese Life and Events p.84
Look Into Tokyo p.84
Bush, Lewis Japanalia: A Concise Encyclopedia p.374
- Kume Masao 久米正雄 (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.76)
- Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia .841
- Kunikida Doppo 国木田独歩
- 1871-1908 Real name Kunikida Tetsuo. An important writer known for his poetry and fiction. While he was a writer in the romantic school he greatly influenced the naturalists due to his use of that style in his works. He was born in Chōshi (The Anime Companion 2 p.13) in Chiba Ken (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.18) but raised in Yamaguchi ken (The Anime Companion 2 p.115). At the age of 19 he enrolled in Tōkyō Semmon Gakkō, today known as Waseda Daigaku (Waseda University) (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.144). At the age of 21 he became a Christian (see:
Kirisutokyō (The Anime Companion [vol.1] p.69). He married in November 1895, however his wife abandoned him after five months. The impact of her leaving had a effect on the rest of his writing. One of his works is Azamukazaru no ki (An Honest Diary) which deals with the pain of the separation. He was a successful author until he died of TB (see: kekkaku The Anime Companion 2 p.44) in 1908
Manga:
Mustachio (in the Japanese original Higeoyaji "moustached old man") quotes from Kunikida Doppo's 1901 work Musashino in Astro Boy (v.16 p.10)
Kunikida Tesuo (Kunikida Doppo) is one of the customers drinking beer in the Masamune Hall early on in The Times of Botchan (v.1 p. 29
Sources:
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia p. 842
Waley, Paul. Tokyo Now & Then: An Explorer's Guide p.447
