fukeiki: Depression, recession.

furoshiki: Wrapping cloth.

hiragana: The Japanese alphabet, written with a cursive style.

Issei: First-generation Japanese immigrant in America.

judo: A form of Jujitsu developed as a sport and a means of self-defense without the use of weapons.

kanji: Chinese characters used in Japanese writing.

katakana: The Japanese alphabet, written with a square style.

ken: A prefecture.

Kibei: American-born person of Japanese ancestry sent to Japan for formal education and socialization when young and later returned to the U.S.

koto: A Japanese harp or zither.

Nihongakko: Japanese language school.

Nihonjin: Japanese person(s).

Nisei: American-born children of Japanese immigrants; second-generation Japanese Americans.

shikata ga nai: It can't be helped. There's nothing one can do.

yoshi: An adopted son; a son-in-law; a man who marries the eldest daughter in a family without sons and is adopted into her family to carry on the family name.

yuutousei: honor student.