Throughout the text, I have followed the
Japanese convention in which the family name precedes the personal
name.
| Akahata |
the Red
Flag, a daily communist newspaper |
| Asahi
Shimbun |
a daily newspaper |
| Asobu…? |
Shall we play? |
| ayu |
a type of fish |
| bakudan |
the explosion of a bomb; also
the name given to low-grade alcohol that had a similar effect on
the drinker |
| Banzai! |
Hurrah! |
| bentō |
a prepared lunch box |
| butsudan |
a family or household Buddhist
altar upon which photographs of the dead are displayed |
| Calmotin |
a brand of sleeping pill |
| chiku-taku |
tick-tock |
| –dōri |
street |
| Formosans |
people from the former Japanese
colony of Formosa, now Taiwan |
| furoshiki |
large handkerchief used for
wrapping articles |
| fūten |
group or gang of
prostitutes |
| futon |
a mattress |
| gari-gari |
the sound of scratching |
| genkan |
the entrance to a house, inside
the front door, used for taking off, putting on and storing
shoes |
| geta |
wooden clogs |
| GHQ |
General Headquarters (of
SCAP) |
| gumi |
group or gang |
| haramaki |
a belly band |
| ikidaore |
an accidental death while on an
excursion |
| Jinan Incident |
also known as the May 3rd
Incident in Chinese; the battle between the Japanese army and the
Southern Army of the Chinese Kuomintang Nationalist Army in May
1928, when the Japanese army entered Jinan, the capital of Shandong
province in China, in order to protect Japanese citizens and
businesses |
| kacho |
the chief of a section |
| kaidashi |
used to describe scavenging for
food or hunting for supplies |
| kakigo
ri |
a flavoured cone of shaved
ice |
| Kakyō
Sōkai |
a post-war association of
Chinese immigrant businesses |
| Kantō |
the region of Japan in which
Tokyo is situated |
| Katakana |
a basic written form of Japanese
syllabary |
| keisatsu
techō |
a policeman’s notebook and
credentials |
| Kempei |
a Kempeitai officer |
| Kempeitai |
the Japanese wartime military
police |
| kuso |
an expletive |
| mechiru-arukōru |
low-grade wood alcohol |
| Meiji |
the name given to the reign of
the former Emperor Mutsuhito, 1866-1912 |
| meishi |
a business or name card |
| Minpo |
a daily newspaper |
| Minshū
Shimbun |
a daily newspaper |
| monpe |
women’s pantaloons |
| Namu-amida-butsu |
‘Save us, merciful Buddha’, or
‘May his/her soul rest in peace’ |
| okawari |
a second-helping |
| pan-pan |
post-war Japanese
prostitutes |
| potsu-potsu |
drip-drop, drip-drop |
| Public Safety Division |
the branch of SCAP responsible
for the reform of the Japanese police |
| Rikusen
Tai |
Japanese Naval Marine Corps |
| sara-sara |
in this instance, the sound of
running water |
| SCAP |
Supreme Commander for the Allied
Powers |
| SCAPIN |
SCAP Instruction (i.e.
directive) |
| Shinchū
Gun |
the Army of Occupation |
| Shōwa |
the name given to the reign of
the former Emperor Hirohito, 1926-1989 |
| soba |
buckwheat noodles |
| Taishō |
the name given to the reign of
the former Emperor Yoshihito, 1912-1926 |
| tatami |
rush-covered straw matting |
| tekiya |
a stall-holder, but also a
racketeer |
| Tōhoku |
the north-eastern regions of the
main Japanese island of Honshu |
| Tokkō |
the ‘Thought Police’ |
| ton-ton |
tap-tap; the sound of
hammering |
| wā-wā |
the sound of a baby crying |
| yakitori |
grilled pieces of chicken on a
stick |
| Yobo |
in this instance, a derogative
term for an old man |
| Yomiuri |
a daily newspaper |
| yukata |
a light summer kimono |
| zaibatsu |
a financial clique |
| zanpan |
a meal made from leftover
scraps |
| zā-zā |
the sound of pelting rain |
| zōsui |
a porridge of rice and
vegetables |
