Words of Japanese origin have entered many languages. Some words are simple transliterations of Japanese language words for concepts inherent to Japanese culture, but some are actually words of Chinese origin that were first exposed to English via Japan. The words on this page are an incomplete list of words which are listed in major English dictionaries and whose etymologies include Japanese. The reverse of this list can be found at List of gairaigo and wasei-eigo terms.
Arts
anime アニメ , hand-drawn and computer animation originating from or associated with Japan. bokeh (from ぼけ boke), subjective aesthetic quality of out-of-focus areas of an image projected by a camera lens. bonsai 盆栽 , "tray gardening"; the art of tending miniature trees. Originated from Chinese 盆栽 penzai bunraku 文楽, a form of traditional Japanese puppet theatre, performed by puppeteers, chanters, and shamisen players. haiku 俳句 , 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; also any form of elaborate theatre, especially metaphorically. kaiju 怪獣, Japanese genre of horror and science fiction films featuring giant monsters. 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 the 17th century by 酒井田 柿右衛門 Sakaida Kakiemon). karaoke カラオケ , (English IPA : ) "empty orchestra"; entertainment where an amateur singer accompanies recorded music. kirigami 切り紙, similar to origami, but involves cutting in addition to folding. koto 琴, a traditional stringed musical instrument from Japan, resembling a zither with 13 strings. makimono 巻物, a horizontal Japanese hand scroll, of ink-and-brush painting or calligraphy manga まんが or 漫画 , (English IPA : ) Japanese comics; refers to comics in general in Japanese netsuke 根付, a toggle used to tie the sash of a kimono also to attach small items such as inro and kinchaku: sometimes beautifully carved. noh 能 nō, a major form of classical Japanese music drama origami 折り紙, artistic paper folding. (British English IPA : ) otaku オタク or おたく or ヲタク, a geeky enthusiast, especially of anime and manga. senryu 川柳, a form of short poetry similar to haiku. shamisen 三味線, a three-stringed musical instrument, played with a plectrum. sumi-e 墨絵, a general term for painting with a brush and black ink. 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). tankōbon 単行本, "independent/standalone book"; term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series or corpus. In modern Japan, though, it is most often used in reference to individual volumes of a single manga, as opposed to magazines. ukiyo-e 浮世絵, a type of woodblock print art or painting. (English IPA : ) waka 和歌, "Japanese poetry"; a word used primarily to describe tanka (see above) written between the 9th and 19th centuries. wabi-sabi 侘び寂び, a world view or aesthetic centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection.
Business
kaizen 改善, literally "change for the better." In practice, a Japanese business philosophy of continuous improvement of working practices, personal efficiency, etc. Initially made famous by the 1986 book of same name. kanban 看板, literally a "signal" or "sign" signals a cycle of replenishment for production and materials and maintains an orderly and efficient flow of materials throughout the entire manufacturing process. karoshi 過労死, "death by overwork, stress death" keiretsu 系列, a set of companies with interlocking business relationships and shareholdings. Poka-yoke "mistake-proofing" or "inadvertent error prevention". tycoon 大君 ("taikun"), "great prince" or "high commander", later applied to wealthy business leaders. zaibatsu 財閥, a "money clique" or conglomerate