Japan Under the Shoguns - Glossary

3. ritual suicide as an act of honour
5. a skilled worker who produces handmade items
7. a type of warrior who used unconventional warfare such as espionage, sabotage and assassination
8. a structure holding religious objects
9. a wandering samurai who had no lord or master
11. the name for the city of Tokyo until 1868
13. a religion, originally from India, which came to Japan in the sixth century
14. the mythical goddess of the sun
15. the practice of growing miniature trees and shrubs by skilful pruning of roots and branches
17. Japanese paper-folding
18. means “the way of the Gods” – the original Japanese religion

1. the area controlled by a daimyo
2. the warrior class of Japan, which included shoguns, daimyo and samurai
4. great warrior lords who controlled areas of land and ruled those who live there
5. a group of islands
6. the art of beautiful handwriting
10. a colourful form of theatre combining play-acting, dance and music
12. spirits of plants, animals or humans in the Shinto religion
16. literally, the “barbarian-conquering great general”; the leading Japanese general