Japan Original English : Art

Anime

アニメ listen (help·info), Japanese animation; refers to animation in general in Japanese (derived from either the English or French word "animation")

Baren

馬連、馬楝 listen (help·info), a tool used in wood printing

Bonsai

盆栽 listen (help·info), "tray gardening"; the art of tending miniature trees (see the unrelated word "banzai" below)

Bokeh

(from ぼけ, boke), subjective aesthetic quality of out-of-focus areas of an image projected by a camera lens

Bunraku

文楽, a form of traditional Japanese puppet theatre, performed by puppeteers, chanters, and shamisen players

Chanoyu

茶の湯, Japanese tea ceremony

Haiku

俳句 listen (help·info), a very short poem consisting of three lines of 5, 7, and 5 morae (not syllables as commonly thought) each; see also tanka below

Ikebana

生花, flower arrangement

Imari

伊万里, Japanese porcelain wares (made in the town of Arita and exported from the port of Imari, particularly around the 17th century)

Kabuki

歌舞伎, a traditional form of Japanese theatre

Kakemono

掛け物, a vertical Japanese scroll, of ink-and-brush painting or calligraphy, that hangs in a recess on a wall inside a room

Kakiemon

柿右衛門, Japanese porcelain wares featuring enamel decoration (made in Arita, using the style developed in 17th century by 酒井田 柿右衛門 Sakaida Kakiemon)

Karaoke

カラオケ listen (help·info), "empty orchestra"; entertainment where an amateur singer accompanies recorded music

katsuramono

鬘物, in Noh, the 3rd Category play (三番目物 sanbanme mono) of a 5 Category play series (五番立 goban date), where the leading role (仕手 shite) is a beautiful woman

kirigami

切り紙, similar to origami, but involves cutting in addition to folding

Koto

箏, a traditional stringed musical instrument from Japan, resembling a zither with 13 strings

Kutani

九谷, Japanese porcelain wares, made originally in the town of Kutani of the ancient Kaga Province (current day Ishikawa)

Makimono

巻物, a horizontal Japanese hand scroll, of ink-and-brush painting or calligraphy

Manga

まんが or 漫画 listen (help·info), Japanese comics; refers to comics in general in Japanese

Netsuke

根付, a toggle use to tie the sash of a kimono also to attach small items such as inro and kinchaku: sometimes beautifully carved.

Noh

能, a major form of classical Japanese music drama

Origami

折り紙, artistic paper folding

Otaku

オタク or おたく or ヲタク, a geeky enthusiast, especially of anime and manga

Renga

連歌, "renged poetry"; a form of Japanese collaborative poetry

Satsuma

薩摩焼 satsuma-yaki pottery from southern Kyushu

Senryu

川柳, a form of short poetry similar to haiku

Shakuhachi

尺八, Japanese bamboo flute

Shamisen

三味線, a three-stringed musical instrument, played with a plectrum

Shunga

春画, erotic pictures

Sumi-e

墨絵, Japanese black ink painting

Taiko

太鼓, a big drum

Tanka

短歌, "short poetry"; an older form of Japanese poetry than haiku, of the form 5-7-5-7-7 morae (not syllables; see also haiku above)

Tokusatsu

特撮, special effects

Ukiyo-e

浮世絵, a type of woodblock print art or painting

Waka

和歌, a genre of Japanese poetry, often refers to tanka