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A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
|
TERM: |
Definition: |
| abolition | The act of doing away with |
| absolutism | A form of government in which
all power is vested in a single ruler or other authority. |
| agrarian | refers to the land, growing
of crops, and/or farming |
| animism | a religion that believes spirits
are present in all living things like animals and plants. |
| annexed | to add on to a country by taking
over another piece of land |
| arable | fit to be plowed or have crops
grown |
| archipelago | a chain of islands. |
| Bakufu | a tent military
government referring to its connection to the military and its moveable
shelter. |
| boycotted | To abstain
from or avoid using, buying, or dealing with something or someone as
an expression of protest or disfavor
or as a means of intimidation. |
| bureaucracy | Administration of a government chiefly through departments staffed with nonelected officials. |
| Buddhism | a religion based on the teachings of Siddhartha Guatama which centers on reaching happiness by removing desire or wanting from life. |
| Bushido | The code of conduct for the samurai. |
| censorship | The act, process, or practice of remove or suppress what is considered morally, politically, or otherwise objectionable. |
| climate | The conditions of an area or
region including things like temperature, precipitation, and wind |
| communist | Supporting, advocating, or serving to further the economic or political system characterized by the collective ownership of property and by the organization of labor for the common advantage of all members. |
| compulsory education | mandatory or required schooling |
conservative |
Favoring traditional views and values; tending to oppose change. |
| constables | A medieval officer of high rank |
| Daimyo | the Japanese landowning feudal lord. |
| deity (deities) | gods |
| democracy | Government by the people, exercised
either directly or through elected representatives. |
| Diet | The national legislature of Japan |
| divine | Superhuman; godlike, sacred, related to gods |
| donjon | The fortified main tower of a castle; a keep. |
| ema | small wooden plaques that are available for people to write wishes on |
| epidemics | An outbreak of a contagious disease that spreads rapidly and widely. |
| Feudalism | an economic, political, and social system where service and loyalty is exchanged for protection. It often involves a weak figure head government and a structured class system. |
| gaijin | foreigner |
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) |
The dollar output of final goods and services in the economy during a
given period (usually one year) |
| hara-kiri | a traditional form of suicide involving disembowelment with a sword. Literally meaning belly cutting. Also called seppuku |
hierarchy |
the organization of people at different ranks in an administrative body |
| rhunter-gatherers | someone who relies on hunting
animals and collecting plants to provide food. usually they are nomadic. |
| hydroelectric powe | energy produced from running water |
| Imperial | related to an empire |
| imperialistic | relating to the practice of one country extending its authority over other nations |
| industrialization | The process of making goods with manufacturing and machinery |
| inflation | The increase in the level of consumer prices and/or decline in the purchasing power of money |
| isolationism | withdrawing frompolitical or economic relations with other countries. |
| Kamikaze | originally referred to the divine wind which kept the Mongols out of Japan. |
Karaoke |
A music entertainment system providing prerecorded accompaniment to popular
songs that a performer sings live, usually by following the words on a
video screen. |
| lady-in-waiting | a woman who attends to or is a servant for the queen |
| latitude | invisible lines that circle
the world from east to west and measure the distance north or south of the
equator. |
| League of Nations | A world organization established
in 1920 to promote international cooperation and peace and dissolved in
1946. |
| Liberal | Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant
of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded |
| Marxism | An political and economic philosophy
of Karl Marx and Frederich Engles centered around the concept of class struggle
under capitalism leading to a socialist and ultimately classless society.
|
| medieval | referring to the Middle Ages |
| metropolitan | Of or constituting a large city or urbanized area, including adjacent
suburbs and towns |
| militarism | Predominance of the armed forces in the administration or policy of the state |
| modernize | making a country advanced in technology |
| non-navigable | not able to sail on |
| ocean currents | The movement of water around the globe in the ocean |
| OPEC | Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries |
| patriarchal | relating to a male ruled household. |
| polytheism | the belief in many gods. |
| prefectures | a district controlled by a government |
progressive |
Promoting or favoring progress toward better conditions or new policies,
ideas, or methods |
| rearmament | to arm with weapons |
recession |
An extended decline in general business activity |
| referendum | A Vote on a change in public policy. |
| regent | a person who rules during the minority, absence, or disability of a monarch. |
| renonuced | To give up (a title, for example), especially by formal announcement |
| residency | the act of dwelling in a place |
| Richter scale | a scale from 1 to 10 used to
measure the severity of earthquakes according to the amount of energy released,
with a higher number indicating stronger tremors. |
| ronin | a samurai without a master to serve |
| rural | Of, relating to, or characteristic of the country. |
| Salaryman | A Japanese corporate businessman. |
| samurai | a Japanese warrior. |
| seppuku | a traditional form of suicide
involving disembowelment with a sword. Literally meaning belly cutting.
Also called hara-kiri |
| shimenawa | A straw rope at a Shinto temple with gohei (white zigzag paper) hanging from it. It denotes a holy spot or object |
| shintoism | A Japanese religion with worship of nature spirits and ancestors |
| Shogun | a Japanese military commander. During feudal Japan shogun ruled the country through an emperor between the years 1192 and 1867. In western military, a shogun is the equivalent of a general. |
| socialist | One who advocates or practices the idea that means of producing and distributing goods is owned collectively or by a centralized government that often plans and controls the economy |
| stewards | a person who manages property, finances, or other affairs for someone else. |
| succession | The sequence in which one person after another succeeds to a title, throne, dignity, or estate. |
| surplus | An amount or a quantity in excess of what is needed. |
| Tectonic plates | a segment of the Earth’s crust that moves relative to other plates and is characterized by volcanic and seismic activity around its margins |
| terrace farming | a technique where level areas of land are made out of hilly or mountainous areas to be used in agriculture |
| timber | Trees or wood used as building material |
| Three Treasures of Buddhism | also referred to as jewels or refuges, they are Buddha, the Dharma (law) and the Sangha (community). |
| Topography | the physical features of land including things like plains, plateaus, mountains, and deserts. |
| tsunami | is a large ocean wave: a large destructive ocean wave caused by an underwater earthquake or some other movement of the earth’s surface. Tidal wave is an appropriate synonym. |
| typhoon | a violent tropical storm in the western Pacific and Indian oceans. It is compared to a hurricane |
| universal conscription | mandatory military service for citizens |
| volcano | An opening in the earth's crust or mountain that emits ash, lava, and gases. |
| westernization | the process of converting to the customs of Western countries like the US and European nations. |
| zaibatsu | A group of families that controlled industry, business and/or finance. |
| Zen Buddhism | A branch of Buddhism where one empties the mind of thoughts to find religious knowledge |
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This site was designed and maintained by Maureen
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High School.
July 2005 Created - |
Tuesday, August 2, 2005
Last Revised -