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Today's list of the Japanese words for certain objects/titles used in Sowing Ghosts covers words beginning D through J. Once again, if you are interested in pronunciation of these words, this is a decent resource.
A Reminder: Japanese grammar does not contain the notion of pluralization for nouns. The same word refers to both a single instance and multiple instances. So in the past Japan had one shōgun; in this story there are two shōgun.
Do: Armoured cuirass, to protect a warrior’s torso.
Dono: A term of respect applied to a superior personage. Think “milord” or “lord”.
Fundoshi: Loincloth. Basic underwear for both sexes.
Geta: Wooden sandals with high “teeth” similar to those of western pattens. The teeth lifted the sole of the sandal above the ground and so these sandals were very useful in wet weather.
Gunbai/Gunsen: “War fan”. Made of metal and used for signaling but can also serve as a weapon.
Hakama: Trousers, of a broad skirt-like cut. Worn over kimono by warriors, both when at home and when out on campaign.
Hinin: “Outcaste” or “non-person”. People charged with handling profane or polluting tasks such as dealing with death (removing dead bodies, for instance). The word eta is sometimes used to name outcastes; as it literally means “much filth” it is not a good word to use.
Hokke: “Lotus”. A term sometimes used to describe Nichiren Buddhists.
Hokke-ji: A woman’s temple in Nara founded by a member of the Hokke branch of the Fujiwara family. Not to be confused with the Lotus sect.
Hokkeshū: “Lotus School”. Another term for the followers of Nichiren.
Ji: “Temple”. Applied as a suffix to the temple name. Sometimes a hyphen is used. To refer to “Hokke-ji Temple” or “Shōkokuji Temple” is redundant; “Hokke-ji” or “Shōkokuji” is sufficient.
Joro: Prostitute, especially one catering to lower classes. The role Katsumi is trying to escape.
Next Characters Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6
Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14
Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Author's Note Glossary
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