- A letter used in place of 'ou', which happens to be the phonetic sound and closest spelling of '' without writers

needing to seek the special character out in their word documents. For instance, depending on who is writing it, Sesshmaru may also be seen spelled as 'Sesshoumaru' or simply as 'Sesshomaru' (all three are acceptable). Also, not every 'o' sounds like 'ou' in Japanese, so both 'o' and '' make common appearances. - Another letter used in Romanji (spelling of Japanese words based off of the roman alphabet and rules of pronunciation). I am not entirely sure what sound it makes, but it does appear sometimes. Amado - these are heavy-duty storm doors which line the engawa or other delicate features of a home, including windows or rice paper doors (shji). Buddhism - A religion originating in Nepal, it traveled eastward with practitioners and altered to the cultures it became established in. Hinduism influences aspects of Buddhism in different ways depending on the region. In Japan, its influences are commonly found in scriptures and moral values as well as some terminology, including the word stra. -chan - A suffix used to communicate endearment between speaker and addressee. Denka - An honorific used after stating the name of a prince or a princess (non-sovereign royalty). Engawa - The wooden, typically rail-less walkway which lines traditional Japanese houses and often let off into gardens. Elevated, and provided with a step of some nature to reach it at designated spots, the engawa is highly versatile and offers a place to: walk quickly to a destination, switch or remove shoes, let children play, entertain guests, (or) enjoy the view and some tea. On the side of the engawa facing the main home, shji doors are typically found. To prevent damage to these doors and to the engawa, storm doors (amado) may line the exterior of the engawa, closing the entire house off from bad weather. Fu - The Taoism term for ofuda. Fushigi na Dbutsu - Literally meaning 'Animal of Wonder', this rare term is used to describe an animal with human levels of intellect which is capable of emitting humanoid sounds or even speech. Kitsune (foxes) are prone to this title, since they may take the appearance of a fox and still act and sound like a human. Heika - An honorific used for addressing a ruler (sovereign royalty). Hidenka - An honorific used after stating the name of the consort of a prince (denka). Hshi - A priest who has dedicated his life to the teachings of Buddha and follows the practices of Buddhism. Similar to miko save for religious practices. Inu - Directly translates to 'dog'. Japanese Clothing - Please look under my Forums for more information, or follow this link: http://dokuga.com/forum/6-general-discussion/68517-glossary-of-japaneseclothing#68517

Jyaki - The malicious, tainted form of ykai energy. This word is used in reference to any energy-based attack performed by someone with habitually cruel intentions. For example, Naraku's miasma attack is referred to as jyaki by Sango in Japanese, but Shipp's Foxfire is seen as yki (the yin to jyaki's yang). Also see yki. Kami - In Shinto faith, kami are spirits or natural forces. Often translated to mean 'God' or 'deity', such a translation is not wholly accurate. Kekkai - In Buddhism, this term is used in regards to a protective barrier or force field. Ki - Commonly known as chi or qi (Chinese words for ki) and commonly referred to as 'spiritual energy', ki is the basic, universal life energy which is believed to flow through all matter. Individuals who dedicate themselves to spiritual teachings and practice selfawareness meditation are believed to be able to possess higher levels and awareness of their ki. This energy is not found in yki-manipulating ykai, or in other words, it is not found in apparitions who break free of the universal life cycle and live off of their own energy, yki. Ykai are considered as an imbalance to the otherwise perfect cycle of life energy, and followers of any religion may exercise the spirit of a ykai with the intention of bringing them back into the natural cycle. Also see reiki. Kitsune - Literally meaning 'fox', this term refers most commonly to the trickster kitsuneykai, which are capable of tricking human men (their preferred prey for pranks) by transforming into women and luring them astray. -kun - A suffix used by an elder to address someone younger, or to address any male child or teenager. Calling a male adult kun can be used as an insult to imply immaturity. The suffix may also be used for younger family members of any gender or in some business settings for any gender. Miko - A shrine maiden who has dedicated herself to the ways of Shinto. Various levels of skill are found in different miko, including individuals who clean the shrines and perform basic ceremonies, individuals capable of chanting charms onto objects or beings, individuals who have mastered their ki (spiritual energy) and exercise great control over it to the point of being able to attack with it in the form of reiatsu (spiritual 'pressure'), and everyone in between. Also see reiryoku. no kimi - An honorific used to identify a lord or lady. It typically implies that the addressee of the speaker has great importance and their respect for the other is very high, or is reserved for members of the court. In modern times, it can be used as a joke or to mock someone, calling them a 'princess' based off of behavior. Ofuda - The term for rectangular paper talismans with charms or spells written on them in ink, used for Shinto practices and by Onmyodo for practices in purification, barrier and ward establishment, and in extermination. Oni - A simpleton ykai with low levels of yki, possessing both human- and animal-based physical features. Reiatsu - (spiritual pressure). Someone capable of manipulating ki (spiritual energy) is also capable of manipulating said ki into something, said 'something' being generally called

reiatsu. Reiatsu can be anything from the energy put into a stra to a purifying barrier. The power of an individual's reiatsu is measured and limited by their reiryoku. Reiki - As opposed to ki (also known as chi), which is the art of being capable of manipulating your own energy and exerting it at your own expense (depletion), reiki is the ability to basically be near someone and 'open' yourself as a conduit, allowing another to subconsciously absorb through you what their body needs from an eternal and limitless source of healing energy. To summarize, reiki is the word you use to specify 'healing reiatsu', seeing as it is a common and specific practice of 'manipulating' energy. Reiryoku - The measure of total potential achieved by an individual in terms of ki and their manipulation of it into reiatsu. **Reiatsu and reiryoku are tricky to differentiate (at least they were for me with the definitions I found online). The following sentence may help: Reiryoku is the term for the total potential with which someone can manipulate their ki and exert it into reiatsu. Rka - basically, a 'hallway'. Rka are corridors lined with sliding doors which grant access to rooms or to the engawa. -sama - An honorable suffix used to address someone higher in status than one's self, even in terms of a supermarket employee addressing a customer. -san - The most common respectful suffix, basically translates to Mr., Mrs., Ms. or Miss. Shakuj - A traveler's staff, typically wood but may be fully mental, topped with a metal ornament and may possess a series of rings, which are used for different reasons depending on the user's background in Buddhism. In general, the jingling of the rings is to warn sentient beings of the traveler's presences and to allow the traveler to avoid having to defend themselves or from having to accidentally take life (like that of a small creature or an insect) while they walk. Shakuj with religious function, since they are common in the hands of travelers, may have either four rings, six rings, or twelve rings. Four rings represent the Four Truths of The Nobel One, six represent the Six Perfections, and twelve represent the twelvefold chain of cause and effect. In Miroku's case, his shakuj has six rings. Practitioners of Shugend, a branch of Buddhism which takes its practices to the mountains, favor the shakuj as a self-defense weapon. Shimenawa - Sacred border ropes, such as that on the Goshinboku in Kagome's proper time. Shintoism - A religion originating in prehistoric Japan, Shintoism has no sacred scriptures and believes in no prophets or solitary God. Rather, the kami (benevolent spirits) exist, and they each serve a unique special purpose. Shji - Rice paper sliding doors, typically used to divide rooms or to let them open onto a veranda (engawa) or on a hallway (rka). Stra - The name of Ofuda when used in Buddhism and Hinduism practices. This is because, unlike Shito, Buddhism and Hinduism will use sacred scriptures (stra) in their religious practices, which do not exist in Shintoism.

(-)Tenn - I've seen this as both an honorific and as a suffix [hence the (-)]. Literally translates to 'Emperor'. Yasha http://www.obakemono.com/obake/yasha/ - In Japanese, it is a word for devil demon. Due to a commonality in its pronunciation though, many misinterpret it to translate to 'female demon', which is incorrect. In Hebrew, which carries influence into many Asian countries through Buddhism (which began in Nepal and traveled north and east), Yasha is one of four words used to talk about 'salvation' (which covers other words, including prosperity, rescue and wholeness). A yasha in Indian mythology was originally a goblin demon, but changed due to the influences of Buddhism. Ykai - An 'apparition', including anything from a glowing spirit orb (yrei), devoid of yki attributes and benign in nature, to a great and powerful apparition such as Sesshmaru (inugami daiykai). More species- or status-specific terms may be categorized under the general reference word 'ykai', including oni and fushigi na dbutsu. Yki - The controlled, filtered form of ykai energy. This word is used in reference to any energy-based attack performed by a ykai who has not been tainted in spirit by ill deeds, and therefore possesses an innate good nature. For example, Shipp manipulates yki while performing his Foxfire, and Kga can outrun his comrades with ease because of his superior amount and control of yki fueling him forward (this use of yki is also why Kagome can sense him approaching). Also see jyaki.