bachi: Divine punishment; retribution.

baishakunin: Go-between for arranged marriages; matchmaker.

bakarashii: Absurd.

hachimaki: A headband.

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

Issei: First-generation Japanese immigrant in America.

kanji: Chinese characters used in Japanese writing.

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

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

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

Sansei: American-born grandchildren of Japanese immigrants; third-generation Japanese Americans.

tabemashou: Let's eat.

yobiyose: Immigration of family for permanent residence; a person called over from Japan to U.S. to immigrate.