Shōgun

<h1 class="ckHeading1Sans">A-E</h1>Amida Tō (The society of the Amida)A fictional society of shinobi (see Shinobi). Amida is the Buddha in the Western Paradise, also called Amida Nyorai, who is considered the savior of all sentient beings. In the Edo period, some shinobi manuals contained Buddhist influences.Anjin"Pilot" in Japanese. Anjin was the name Blackthorne and his historical counterpart, William Adams, went by while living in Japan.AshigaruA foot soldier. They fought with guns, bows, spears, and swords under the command of samurai. The ashigaru made up the majority of a warlord's army.BushōA warlord. Literally "military general." These samurai lords had the military power to unify their territory independently. Some ruled over an area of just a few counties, while others had several large fiefdoms under their control. In Japanese the term is mainly used for the warlords who fought their wars in the Sengoku period.&nbsp;Consortsee Seishitsu.Council of Regentssee Tairōshū.Christian BushōA feudal lord converted to Christianity. Jesuit missionaries first tried to convert the lords, and with their approval, proceeded to convert their vassals. The lords, in turn, protected the missionaries because of trade benefits and interest in acquiring Western weapons. When Christianity was banned by Hideyoshi (the Taikō), most of them abandoned the faith or practiced it in secret.Death Poemsee Jisei-no-ku.Eightfold Fencesee Yaegaki.EmperorThe legitimate monarch of Japan. During the Sengoku period, the emperor had little real political power. The warlords ruled independently over their own territories. However, it was the emperor who bestowed titles such as kampaku and shōgun. In this sense, the emperor was still perceived as the sovereign of Japan.

<h1 class="ckHeading1Sans">F-J</h1>Falconry (takagari)A type of hunting that consisted of releasing a hawk or falcon to catch wild birds and other small animals. It was very popular among the samurai class and was considered a status symbol. A special type of hunting clothing developed, called kari-shōzoku.HatamotoA samurai under the direct command of the warlord. Literally, a samurai "near the banner" or "under the banner" of the lord. The hatamoto differed from the other samurai who served the lord directly (called gokenin) in that they were allowed a direct audience with the lord.Incense clock (kōbandokei)&nbsp;A clock in a box, in which incense is placed in the center in a zigzag pattern using a ruler called an incense mould, and lit from one end to measure the passage of time.JijoA lady-in-waiting. A high-ranking young woman of the samurai class who served an upper-class samurai lady before her marriage. Ladies-in-waiting would attend to their mistresses' every need, including dressing them, carrying their belongings, and acting as a scribe, while directing maidservants to perform more menial tasks.JinmakuA camp curtain with the warlord's family crest ("kamon") painted on it. It was used to indicate the warlord's headquarters.Jisei-no-kuA death poem written when a member of the samurai class realizes that his or her death is near. Mostly a Japanese waka poem in which the person reflects on his or her life. Jisei-no-ku literally means "a verse when leaving the world." Warlords and samurai would write such a poem before going into battle or before committing seppuku. Some would carry a death poem with them at all times.

<h1 class="ckHeading1Sans">K-O</h1>KaikenA self-defense dagger that samurai ladies kept deep in their kosode, to be used in an emergency or to commit suicide.KaishakuninAn attendant cutting the neck of a samurai who had committed seppuku (ritual of cutting one's belly). Since someone who cuts his belly does not die immediately, but suffers terrible pain for a day or two, the custom developed of having an attendant cut the neck after disembowelment. The role of kaishakunin was usually played by a loyal subordinate or friend. If a subordinate fulfilled this role, he often committed seppuku himself. If no kaishakunin was available, the samurai would cut his own throat or endure the pain until he died. In the show, this person is referred to as a “second.”&nbsp;KamonA family crest used to identify the clan, to indicate the rank of the clan, and also to express heraldry. There were 241 types of samurai crests.KaōA symbol or sign used by warlords and samurai as a signature. Each kaō is different and shows unique characteristics of the signer. Kaōs are distinguished from signatures by shapes that cannot be considered letters or ideograms.Karmasee Shukumei.Katana&nbsp;Long Japanese sword. The longer of the two swords carried by a samurai. The shorter sword is called a wakizashi. A katana was used for fighting on foot and is shorter and lighter than the "tachi" sword, which was intended for use on horseback.Koku&nbsp;A unit of measurement used in early modern Japan to express the amount of rice a country produced. One koku was roughly equivalent to the amount of rice consumed by one adult person in one year.KoshōA young man serving a bushō. A koshō acted as his lord's bodyguard, secretary, attendant, and sometimes lover. Similar to a squire, a koshō was the son of a samurai. When they came of age, they became samurai themselves. Koshōs can be recognized by their unique hairstyle. Only the top of the head was shaved, leaving the bangs in place, while the rest of the hair was pulled back into a ponytail.KosodeThe standard unisex garment of the Sengoku period. The kosode was the forerunner of the kimono. The kosode had a shorter length, narrower and shorter sleeves, and a longer collar than the more modern kimono.Lady-in-Waiting&nbsp;see Jijo.NaginataA weapon with a curved blade at the end of a long handle. Because of its wide range and its ability to deal stabbing and slashing blows, it was widely used as a primary weapon until the beginning of the Sengoku period, when the long spear became the dominant weapon. Because of its ease of use, it was the weapon of choice for women in the samurai class.Noh&nbsp;A form of theater that uses a unique open Noh stage, Noh masks, and a fusion of abstract acting enhanced by dance and musical elements through singing and playing music. Noh theater was extremely popular among the samurai class and was not only watched but also performed by many warlords.NorimonoA palanquin consisting of a wooden box with a sliding door and lattice windows, suspended from a pole and carried from front to back on the shoulders of several palanquin bearers. Only court nobles and upper-class samurai were allowed to use a norimono.OrigamiA letter typical of the Sengoku period. Literally "folded paper." The name comes from the fact that the letter was written on a sheet of paper folded horizontally.OshikiA square wooden tray or low table on which dishes, cups, etc. are placed. It is surrounded by a narrow board to form a rim and was often varnished. It was used as an individual dining table.

<h1 class="ckHeading1Sans">P-T</h1>RengaLinked verse poetry. A literary game popular in the Sengoku period in which two or more people alternately compose the first and second stanzas of a waka poem tanka, that is, the long stanza (5-7-5) and the short stanza (7-7).RōninMasterless samurai.RutterA navigational handbook with sailing instructions. Before the advent of nautical charts, rutters were the primary repository of geographic information for maritime navigation. In the 16th century, Portuguese and Spanish sailors had detailed rutters of their routes, but kept them secret from other countries to protect their monopoly on trade with the Americas and Asia. The rutters Blackthorne obtained gave him access to these routes.SakayakiA peculiar hairstyle for the samurai to protect the head from sweat and heat under the helmet. The samurai shaved the top of the head and the forehead, leaving only the hair on the back and sides of the head in a crescent shape. The hair at the back was pulled into ponytails of various shapes.SamuraiA Japanese warrior. The term literally means "one who serves (a lord)." Originally, samurai were warriors who served the imperial nobility. Although the term samurai is well known in the West, the term "bushi" is more commonly used in Japan. "Samurai" usually referred to the upper echelon of the warrior class (buke). The warrior class comprised about six percent of the population and effectively ruled Japan from the twelfth through the nineteenth centuries.Seishitsu (also okugata)A legal wife, consort (in the sense of a lord's spouse). In feudal Japan, a man was allowed one legal wife, and his other wives were known as sokushitsu (concubines). By 1600, marriage was a political partnership, and wives were usually chosen by a samurai's father or lord. The seishitsu was in charge of the family affairs of the lords, including the handling of servants and concubines. Seishitsu literally means "(the lady in) the official room" and refers to the room where the legal wife resided. Okugata means "(the lady in) the innermost room.”Sengoku periodA period of perpetual warfare between the warlords. Literally "the warring stated period.”SeppukuA unique samurai ritual of cutting the belly with a short sword to commit suicide. Literally "belly cutting." Also known as harakiri. It was widely practiced during the Sengoku period. Since it took a long time to die from disembowelment, an attendant, called a kaishakunin, would cut the samurai's neck after the samurai cut his belly. The purpose of committing suicide in this extremely painful way was to show courage. The main reasons for committing seppuku were to escape the shame of captivity after losing a battle, to take responsibility for a misdeed, to remonstrate with one's lord, or to follow one's lord into death.ShinobiLocal warriors, ashigaru, or outlaws who carried out acts of espionage, infiltration, arson, looting, taking over castles, and guerrilla warfare such as ambushes and assassinations. They were later romanticized as "ninjas" and fictionalized as supernatural assassins. Warlords such as Ieyasu made extensive use of their services.ShōgunThe military leader and de facto ruler of the country. The term originally meant "the barbarian-subduing great general" and was given to the general sent by the emperor to fight the Ainu people in northern Japan. However, with the establishment of the samurai government at the end of the 12th century, the title was revived and took on a new political meaning as the leader of the military class.Shukumei (pronounced shukumyō in the Sengoku period)A Buddhist term referring to the unchangeable qualities that are predetermined at birth. These qualities derive from the idea that good or bad deeds in a previous life are rewarded with a corresponding amount of happiness or suffering in rebirth, according to the principle of cause and effect. Shukumei implies that the individual cannot change his fate, as it was decided in a previous life. However, this should not be interpreted as fatalism, but rather as a combination of fate and destiny. The English subtitles translate this concept as karma ("gō" in Japanese).SokushitsuA concubine. In addition to his legal wife (seishitsu), the warlords had many concubines. These were usually from the samurai class. While seishitsu (legal wife) means "(the lady in) the official room," sokushitsu means "(the lady in) the antechamber." Both names refer to the room where the wives lived in the lord's residence. Toranaga's historical counterpart, Tokugawa Ieyasu, had over 20 concubines.TachiGeneral term for large Japanese swords. These were mainly used by mounted samurai in battle.TaikōThe title given to a former kampaku (chief advisor to the emperor and higher in rank than Shōgun). Normally, only members of the aristocracy held the position of kampaku, but Hideyoshi assumed the position by being adopted into an aristocratic family. Later, after Hideyoshi retired from this position, Taikō became Hideyoshi's honorary title.Tairōshū (also Tairō, Gotairō)The Council of Regents. A simplified version of the governing body set up by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (the Taikō) to rule after his death until his son Hideyori (Yaechiyo) came of age. Historically, the council consisted of five senior tairō (elders) and five junior bugyō (commissioners). In our story, the Council is simply five warlords of equal power who rule as one.TantōA type of Japanese sword that is short with little or no warp. In the Sengoku period it was called koshigatana. Because it was easy to handle, it was used for self-defense in an emergency. In the Edo period, the tantō was used to commit seppuku, as opposed to the Sengoku period where a wakizashi was more commonly used.Tea Ceremony (Cha-no-yu)&nbsp;A ritual of preparing matcha (powdered green tea) and serving it to one or more guests. It was often performed in a specially constructed room called a chashitsu. The tea ceremony was a way to enter a state of tranquillity and elegance and to practice etiquette. It incorporated the spirit of poetry and Zen, and was based on the principles of wabi-sabi, harmony, equality, and purity. It became very popular among the samurai class in the Sengoku period.TōmyōzaraA plate mounted on a stand, with rapeseed oil on the plate. A rope in the oil was lit to provide light indoors. In the Sengoku period, the use of candles or paper lanterns was mostly for religious purposes, and only became common for lighting in the Edo period. The tōmyōzara were also placed in the stone lanterns to light the gardens. Other means of outdoor lighting included torches and bonfires.

<h1 class="ckHeading1Sans">U-Z</h1>WaSocial harmony. Peace and unity without conflict.WakaA traditional Japanese poem. Based on a syllabic rhythm with repetition of five syllables and seven syllables, the tanka (short Japanese poem) of the 5-7-5-7-7 syllable pattern was the standard single poem composed in the Sengoku period.WakizashiA short Japanese sword. The shorter of the two swords carried by a samurai. The longer sword is called a katana. It was used as a backup in case the katana became unusable, and to commit seppuku if necessary.Willow WorldA translation of the Japanese 'Karyūkai'. This term originated in the Meiji period and was used to describe the world of the geisha in the pleasure quarters. In the Japanese version of our story, we have used the term "utakata no yo," which could be translated as “the ephemeral world.” It conveys the image of the dreamy world of courtesans at that time.Yaegaki&nbsp;The Eightfold Fence. A term used in a tanka poem (a short Japanese poem of thirty-one syllables) in the Kojiki ("Records of Ancient Matters"), the oldest surviving book in Japan, compiled in 712 and containing the mythology and earliest history of Japan. Yaegaki means "manifold fences" that surrounded the palace of the deity Susanowo-no-Mikoto, and Mariko saw the eightfold fence as an impregnable wall to protect her innermost feelings.Yūjo (also ukareme)The representative name for pre-modern courtesans. In addition to sexual services, the yūjo provided entertainment such as singing and dancing, which became an important part of prostitution and later evolved into the art of geishas (professional entertainers) in the second half of the Edo period.

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Lord Toranaga in full armor stands facing a ship coming into shore for FX’s Shōgun

Glossary & Terms | FX Shōgun

Glossary & Terms