Lili's Little Japanese Lexicon
this is my little Japanese lexicon
inside you'll find descriptions and a few photos

BOY'S FESTIVAL
This festival is held annually on May 5 in honour of boy's brilliant future. Huge red and black carps made of paper or cloth are flown together with Fukinagaabi (streamers) on tall poles. Dolls showing warriors are placed on display on tiered stands. Irises hung from the eaves are considered to have the magic power of keeping away evil spirits and ill luck.

CHERRY BLOSSOMS ON MT. YOSHINO
Mt. Yoshino is famous for cherry blossoms. The grove of cherry trees near the Yoshino station is known as "Shimo-no-sembon" (The Lower Thousand Trees), and the grove at Kimpu-sen as "Oku-no-sembon" (The Inner Thousand Trees). The trees usually begin to bloom from the "Lower" groves. Mt. Yoshino also abounds in historic sites associated with the 14th century history of Japan.

FUJI-SAN
A volcano, also known as Fujiyama, which is no longer active and which, at 12,400 feet (3,780m), is the highest point in Japan. It is a place of pilgrimage and it is known for its perfectly formed snow-covered top.

FUTON
A large bag filled with cotton that is used as a bed and can be rolled up and put away during the day. Futons come originally from Japan but are now popular in many countries and believed to be healthful to sleep on.

GIRL'S FESTIVAL DOLLS
Girl's Festival or Dolls Festival has since old times been observed yearly on the 3rd day of March by every family, noble or plebeian, where there is a girl. A set of dolls including Dairi-sama (dolls representing the Emperor and Empress dressed in resplendent ancient Court costumes) are placed on display on step-wise shelves together with various offerings.

JIDAI FESTIVAL
The Jidai Festival of Heian Shrine is one of Kyoto's Three Grand Fetes, the other two being the Gion Festival of Yasaka Shrine and the Aoi Festival of Kamo Shrine. The chief feature of this festival is an interesting procession of people dressed in cosiumes of various extending over 1,000 years.

HARA-KIRI
A way of killing oneself by cutting open the stomach. This form of SUICIDE involves some ceremony and was formerly used in Japan by male members of the Samurai class.

HIROSHIMA
A city and port on the SW of the Japanese island of Honshu. The city was largely destroyed in 1945 when the US air force dropped the first atomic bomb on it to try and end the war between the US and Japan. Many people were killed in the attack, and many others were badly hurt by the heat and radioactive effects of the bomb, some dying later from their wounds. The city has been rebuilt and is a prosperous industrial centre again; population 1,100,000 (1994). Hiroshima is now an international shrine of peace.

KOBUNTEI AT MITO
This pavilion whose name means "House of Literary Taste", stands on an elevated ground in the Kairaku-en, one of the most celebrated gardens in Japan. It was designed by Tokugawa Nariaki, the 9th lord of the Mito Clan in the Edo Period, late 18th to early 19th centuries. Its sliding doors are ornamented with numerous cartouches inscripted with poems.

LITTLE BEARS
Wooden bears carved by the Ainus are popular souveniers of Hokkaido. Hokkaido and its inhabitants are closely associated with bears. The Higuma (brown bears) with brown or dark-brown skins inhabiting high mountains is bigger than bears in Honshu.

SLEEPING CAT AND THREE MONKEYS
The fascination of Nikko is in exquisite harmony of natural beauty and architectural splendor. Over the gate in the decorated, red-lacquesred corridor of the shine fence is the "Sleeping Cat" attributed by tradition to be the work of the famous sculptor Hidari Jingoro. The "Three Monkeys" is also popular among visitors.

SHINTO
The ancient religion of Japan, including the worship of gods that represent various parts of nature, and of people who died in the past.

STONE IMAGES AT USUKI
Fukada in Utsuki City, Kyushu Island is well known for 64 Buddhist stone statues which are elaborately carved in relief on the rocky cliff. The carvings date back to us early as the mid-Heian to the Kamakura Periods (about 11th - 14th centuries).

SUMO
A Japanese form of wrestling, involving special ceremonies as well as entertainment, in which two men try to force each other to the ground or out of a ring marked on the floor. The men (sumo wrestlers) are known for their great size and strength, and the sport is taken very seriously in Japan.

TEAHOUSE
A special house in China or Japan where tea is served, often with great ceremony.

YOKOHAMA
A city and port on Tokyo Bay, Japan, that developed from a small village in the 19th century to a main trading port after Commander Perry landed there.

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