burakumin: Literally means "people of the village" but refers to people descended from persons who were ostracized as social outcasts and discriminated against, based on their occupations that involved animal slaughtering, leather making, disposal of bodies and related work, or due to alleged criminal activity. Such ostracism was in part, related to Buddhist sanctions against killing. Now used as a derogatory term along with the term eta, which means "dirty," it has been replaced by dowa which means "equal of harmony."

eta: A derogatory term, referring to people descended from persons who were ostracized as social outcasts and discriminated against, based on their occupations that involved animal slaughtering, leather making, disposal of bodies and related work, or due to alleged criminal activity. Such ostracism was in part, related to Buddhist sanctions against killing.

-ken: A prefecture.

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

samurai: Japanese warrior or military class during feudal times in Japan.

shoya: A village headman.