Vocabulary Week 33

Mt. Fuji Japan’s highest and most well known mountain. It is a volcano that has been dormant for many years, and is also worshipped as a sacred place *Category*: Geography

Typhoon A large low pressure system that originates over the Northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean (known as hurricanes over the Atlantic Ocean) *Category*: Geography

Prefecture A district ruled by a prefect. Japan is divided up into 47 prefectures. These are similar to our concept of states *Category*: Government

Sea of Japan Body of water that separates the archipelago that makes up Japan from the Asian mainland *Category*: Geography

Shinto Japan’s earliest religion. It means “way of the gods” and is based on respect for nature and worship of ancestors *Category*: Religion

Samurai Warriors that were used by Japanese lords to protect their estates. European knights and the Samurai had the same behavioral expectations *Category*: Culture

Bushido Means “way of the warrior”. This was a demanding code that a Samurai was expected to follow at all times. *Category*: Culture

Shogun A military role whose title means “supreme general of the emperor’s army” *Category*: Culture

Zen A Japanese sect of Buddhism that was very influential in Japan. *Category*: Culture

Daimyo A Japanese feudal baron. This rank in the social structure would be comparable to the European Lord in feudal times. *Category*: Culture

Ring of Fire A belt of seismic and volcanic activity roughly surrounding the Pacific Ocean *Category*: Geography

Patriarch A man that is seen as being the father or founder of a family, clan, or group of people. They are normally help in high esteem. *Category*: Culture