| Term | Definition |
|
kamakazes |
suicide pilots during WWII |
|
martial arts |
styles of fighting or self-defense |
|
samurai |
powerful warrior class, "those who serve" |
|
Heian Period |
Japan's Golden Age of Peace |
|
courtier |
a member of a ruler's court |
|
calligraphy |
descriptive or imaginative language |
|
regent |
one who rules in the name of another |
|
shogun |
the head of the military government |
|
pagoda |
a tower-shaped structure with several stories and roofs |
|
kana |
Japanese way of writing, "borrowed letters" |
|
Siddhartha Guatama |
the founder of Buddhism |
|
imperial |
belonging or related to an emperor |
|
daimyo |
a local lord |
|
meditation |
a spritual discipline that involves deep relaxation |
|
Prince Shotoku |
first prince of Japan, 593 C.E. |
|
elements of culture |
peoples' ideas, objects, and customs |
|
aristocracy |
a ruling class of nobel families |
|
cultural diffusion |
the spread of cultural elements from one society to another |