Japanese Words in English
I am of the opinion, that there may hardly be a language in the world, which is not influenced by at least one another language. Just like many English words have proliferated the Japanese language, there are many Japanese words in English as well. Read on further to know these words...

Japanese is the official language of Japan and Palau. It is spoken by more than 120 million people around the world. Japanese speaking people are found in Hawaii, Brazil, Peru, Argentina Australia and the United States of America. The State of California has a total of 1.2% Japanese-speaking people. The Japanese language has three main dialects, namely Tokyo dialect, Kyoto-Osaka dialect and Kyushu dialect.
The English language has been enriched with words from different cultures and languages. So how can Japanese words be an exception to this rule? There are many Japanese words in English, but we are unaware that the Japanese words to English are loanwords. The words from other languages, places and names from other countries are written in the katakana script in the Japanese language. The Japanese names, places and words are written in kanji and hiragana scripts. Having said that we will see, which are the Japanese loanwords in English.
Japanese Words in the English Language
| Japanese Words in English | Meaning |
| Aikido | Japanese martial arts |
| Anime | Animation |
| Bento | A meal box with separators |
| Bonsai | Miniature tree |
| Dashi | Soup stock; fundamental to Japanese cooking |
| Geisha | Professional artist |
| Haiku | Short poem of 3 lines |
| Harakiri | A form of ritual suicide |
| Hibachi | Portable charcoal grill |
| Honcho | Chief or head or a business magnet |
| Ikebana | Flower arrangement |
| Imari | Porcelain ware |
| Judo | Martial arts form |
| Kabuki | Traditional Japanese theater |
| Kamikaze | Divine wind |
| Kakemono | Vertical Japanese calligraphy scroll |
| Karaoke | Singing pop songs to musical backing |
| Karate | Type of Japanese martial arts |
| Katsuo / Maguro | Tuna |
| Kimono | Outer garment, generally made of silk |
| Koi | Ornamental carp fish |
| Manga | Comics |
| Makimono | Horizontal hand scroll for calligraphy |
| Miso | Paste made from soybean, koji and sea salt |
| Obi | Belt / sash used with a kimono |
| Origami | Paper-folding art |
| Ramen | A variety of Japanese noodle soup |
| Rickshaw | Human-pulled vehicle |
| Sake | Alcoholic beverage made from rice |
| Samurai | Japanese warrior |
| Sayonara | Goodbye |
| Sensei | Master, teacher |
| Shoyu | Japanese soy sauce |
| Sudoku | Puzzles, although now used for mathematical puzzles |
| Sumo | Japanese wrestling; also national sport of Japan |
| Sushi | Vinegared rice topped with raw fish, shellfish and rarely vegetables |
| Tanka | Short poem form; older than haiku |
| Teriyaki | Cooking technique in which fish or meat is grilled in soy marinade |
| Tofu | Bean curd |
| Tsunami | Large wave as a result of underwater disturbances |
| Tycoon | Great Leader; now applied to wealthy businessmen |
| Typhoon | Violent tropical storm or cyclone |
| Ukiyoe | Wood block prints |
| Wasabi | Green paste similar to horseradish |
| Zen | Branch of Mahayana Buddhism |
| Zori | Rice straw sandals; commonly worn with kimono for formal occasions |
This list of Japanese words in English is not exhaustive. I have tried and given the most common words here. With each passing day, there are some news words added to the English dictionary, which have made their way into the language because of the Japanese influence. In case I have missed out on some, please do let me know!
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