Glossary

Who did a what with his what now?

"Memoirs" contains a lot of Japanese names and terms. For those not familiar with the language, many of them may be difficult to remember, or their significance may not be apparent. Therefore, this page is a compilation of all the Japanese names and terms that appear in their story, how they are written, and what they mean.

A

  • Akagane (赤金) - "Copper"
  • Amahari (甘針) - "Sweet Thorn"
  • Ani-ue (兄上) - An archaic, formal term for "big brother"
  • Atashi (あたし) - "I", first-person pronoun used by girls
  • Azuki (小豆) - "Red bean"

B

  • Bake-inu (化け犬) - "Monster Dog"
  • Bokusenou (朴仙翁) - "Venerable Magnolia Sage" (canon character)

C

  • Chan (ちゃん) - An honorific typically applied to and used by children or close female friends
  • Chokutou (直刀) - (A double-edged straight-bladed sword)

D

  • Daieda (大枝) - "Big Stick"
  • Daruma-san ga Koronda (だるまさんが転んだ) - "The Daruma doll fell over", a game similar to Red Light Green Light
  • Dodomeki (百々目鬼) - "Hundred-eyed Oni" (a youkai woman cursed with eyes all over her arms due to stealing)
  • Dono (殿) - An honorific used to convey respect for someone of equal or lesser status

E

  • Eika (詠歌) - "Poem"

F

G

  • Genkyou (減響) - "Decrease Resonance"

H

  • Hisogun (飛鼠群) - "Bat Swarm"
  • Hisui (翡翠) - "Jade"
  • Hizanrin (飛斬輪) - "Flying Cutting Ring"
  • Hyouganta (豹眼太) - "Panther Eye Bounty"
  • Hyounekozoku (豹猫族) - "Panther Tribe / Panther Devas" (anime filler race)

I

  • Ichimon (一文) - "One copper"
  • Ihoujin (異邦人) - "Outsider"
  • Ikarimoto (鎧本) - "Source of Armor"

J

  • Jorougumo (女郎蜘蛛) - "Spider Mistress"
  • Jumon (呪文) - "Spell"
  • Juumon (十文) - "Ten copper"

K

  • Kakyou (加響) - "Increase Resonance"
  • Kane (金) - "Money"
  • Kane (鐘) - "Bell"
  • Kannushi (神主) - (A Shinto priest)
  • Karamaru (空丸) - "Empty Circle"
  • Kaze no Kizu (風の傷) - "Wind Scar" (canon attack)
  • Kejourou (毛倡妓) - "Hair Mistress" (a youkai woman whose long hair conceals her face)
  • Kijin (鬼人) - "Oni man"
  • Kitsune (狐) - "Fox"
  • Kogane (黄金) - "Gold"
  • Koma-inu (狛犬) - (This term does not translate, and is the name of the pair of lion-dog statues that guard Shinto shrines)
  • Kougyoku (光玉) - "Ball of Light"
  • Kuchinawa (朽縄) - "Decayed Rope" (archaic word for "snake")
  • Kuran (紅嵐) - "Crimson Storm"
  • Kuso (くそ) - "Excrement" (to put it mildly)
  • Kuusou (空爪) - "Air Claws"

L

M

  • Marugouhei (丸甲兵) - "Round Armored Soldier"
  • Meioujuu (冥王獣) - "Hell King Beast" (canon character)
  • Midoriko (翠子) - "Green Child" (canon character)
  • Miko (巫女) - (A Shinto priestess)
  • Minkirauwa (耳無豚) - "Earless pig" (a youkai pig said to steal a person's soul by running between their legs)
  • Mitsuru (蜜流) - "Flow of honey"
  • Mokuzenmei (黙然鳴) - "Mute Knell"
  • Mononoke (物の怪) - Spirit creatures (roughly the same meaning as "youkai", just more archaic)
  • Mugaku (無顎) - "Chinless"
  • Myouga (冥加) - "Divine Protection" (canon character)

N

  • Naginata (長刀) - (A Japanese polearm with a sword blade at the tip)
  • Nee-sama (姉様) - "Older sister"
  • Ninki (人気) - "Popularity" (lit: "human aura")
  • Nomi (ノミ) - "Flea"

O

  • Obou-sama (お坊様) - "Master Monk"
  • Oji-san (おじさん) - Literally "uncle", also used as a generic polite term of address for a middle-aged man
  • Omosaki (面崎) - "Mask Cape"
  • Oni (鬼) - (A mythological humanoid creature typically depicted with fangs and horns)
  • Onigitsune (鬼狐) - "Oni Fox"
  • Onii-chan - (お兄ちゃん) - "Big brother"
  • Onikoumori (鬼蝙蝠) - "Oni Bat"
  • Onishika (鬼鹿) - "Oni Deer"
  • Onitengu (鬼天狗) - "Oni Tengu" (A tengu is a mythological creature with a crow's body and a man's face, with a long, beak-like nose)
  • Onitokage (鬼蜥蜴) - "Oni Lizard"
  • Oniuma (鬼馬) - "Oni Horse"
  • Oniyagi (鬼山羊) - "Oni Goat"
  • Ore (俺) - "I", first-person pronoun used by men

P

Q

R

  • Raimeihou (雷冥胞) - "Dark Thunder Sac" (canon attack)
  • Reiki (霊気) - "Spiritual Aura"
  • Renketsuji (廉潔寺) - "Temple of Integrity"
  • Rokkaku (六角) - "Hexagon"
  • Ryakki (掠鬼) - "Robbing Oni"
  • Ryuukessei (龍血精) - "Dragon Blood Born"

S

  • Saihakujin (西白人) - "Western White Person" - a nonsense word that is the miswriting of "Yonhyakuhachi" (四百八)
  • Sama (様) - An honorific used to convey respect, setting them at a higher status than the speaker
  • San (さん) - An honorific used to convey impersonal respect, setting the person equal to the speaker
  • Sansazume (三叉爪) - "Three-forked Talon"
  • Seiran (青嵐) - "Blue Storm"
  • Seishi (勢至) - Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta, "Arrival of great strength"
  • Shiaku (四悪) - "Four Evils"
  • Shigeka (草花) - "Grass and Flowers"
  • Shikon no Tama (四魂の玉) - "Jewel of Four Souls" (canon item)
  • Shirabyoushi (白拍子) - (Heian-era female court performances)
  • Shirogane (白金) - "Silver"
  • Shishi-gami (獣神) - "Beast God"
  • Shishibaba Hanabi (尿糞花火) - "Excrement Fireworks"
  • Shishigari Wanami (鹿狩罠網) - "Hunter's Snare"
  • Souzou Tennou (創造天王) - "Lord of Creation"
  • Suzumebachi (胡蜂) - "Barbarian Bee" ("Hornet")

T

  • Taijiya (退治屋) - "Exterminator" (canon term)
  • Takemori no Masakiyo (竹森之雅清) - "Brightly Refined One of the Bamboo Forest"
  • Tamaokuri no Nari (霊送りの鳴り) - "Soul-sending Chime"
  • Tougoku (東国) - "Eastern Country"
  • Tsutsuji (躑躅) - "Azalea"

U

  • Unjouden (雲上殿) - "Cloudtop Palace"

V

W

  • Wakage (輪影) - "Ring Shadow"
  • Wan (ワン) - "Woof"
  • Wataridake (渡竹) - "Travelling Bamboo"

X

Y

  • Yachouon (夜潮音) - "Sound of Waves at Night"
  • Yakurou Dokusen (薬老毒仙) - "Elder of Medicine, Sage of Poison" (canon character)
  • Yari (槍) - "Spear"
  • Yarisugi (やり過ぎ) - "Overkill"
  • Yasuka (安花) - "Peaceful flower"
  • Yonenosuke (米之助) - "Rice Helper"
  • Yonhyakuhachi (四百八) - "Four hundred and eight"
  • Yosuzume (夜雀) - "Night sparrow"
  • Youkai (妖怪) - (Generic term for a range of Japanese supernatural creatures)
  • Youki (妖気) - "Youkai Aura" (canon term)

Z