The Decentering Japanese Art History glossary is a reference for persons unfamiliar with terms associated with the Japanese archipelago. Definitions draw primarily from professional literature in the United States.
In East Asian Studies it is common to abbreviate language designations such as “Japanese.” This glossary abides by this, using abbreviations to mark the language from which the term originates.
Jpn. = Japanese
Ain. = Ainu
Ryu. = Ryūkyūan/Okinawan
archipelago (Jpn. rettō 列島, shotō 諸島, guntō 群島)
A chain of islands that are grouped together because of geographic proximity, perceived cultural or ethnic connections, and/or national boundaries.
Also see: Ryūkyū archipelago; Nansei archipelago; Japanese archipelago
aikatazumi 相方積み (Jpn.)
Lit. “interlocking shaped stacks”
A distinctive pattern of tightly-fitting pentagonal and hexagonal rocks used to build walls in the Ryūkyū Archipelago.
Ainu アイヌ (Ain./Jpn., sometimes “Aynu”)
Ainu, lit. “humans”
usage note: This site uses “Ainu” both as a noun (a people, culture, and language) and as an adjective.
— people/culture: Although they have cultural, historical, and genetic connections to much earlier groups, the distinct cultures with direct connections to modern Ainu can be traced back to around the 17th century in Hokkaidō and surrounding areas. From this time, populations of Ainu and related people were concentrated on the islands of Sakhalin, Hokkaidō, northern Honshū, and the Kurils.
— language: “Ainu (language)” refers to a group of related languages and dialects that have been spoken by people in the Japanese archipelago and other areas for centuries and its influence can be seen in various place names throughout northern Japan. Until the 19th century, there were no written Ainu texts, but oral tradition preserves many oral traditions and stories. Because of harsh suppression of the language and culture of the Ainu by Yamato (wajin) people, there are very few native speakers of Ainu today, though language revival efforts have met with significant success.
Also see: Yamato; wajin
Ainu-e アイヌ絵 (Jpn.)
Lit. “Ainu pictures”
Images of Ainu and related people painted by artists who identified with Yamato/Wajin cultures. Made between the 17th and 19th century, they provide a highly-biased yet significant record of cultural, economic, and religious practices of premodern Ainu.
Amami archipelago 奄美 (Jpn. Amami guntō 奄美群島)
A group of islands in the northern part of the Ryūkyū Islands (q.v.) that are part of present-day Kagoshima Prefecture. The history of the Amami Islands is distinct from both Yamato and Shuri/Okinawa Island cultures, but they have been entwined since at least the 8th century.
hafu 破風 (also written 搏風)
Architectural term for bargeboards, which are usually ornamental boards fixed to the gable end of a roof to hide the ends of the roof timbers.
Japanese archipelago (Nihon rettō 日本列島)
The geographic region including the islands from the Ryūkyūs (q.v.) in the south to Hokkaidō and surrounding islands to the north; not necessarily contiguous with the modern nation-state of Japan.
*Nansei archipelago (南西諸島)
Lit. “southwestern archipelago”
An older name for the Ryūkyū archipelago (q.v.); not generally used because of its Yamato-centrism and association with Japanese colonialism.
Ryūkyū archipelago (Jpn. Ryūkyū shotō 琉球諸島)
The chain of islands between Taiwan and the Japanese island of Kyūshū; in present-day Okinawa and Kagoshima Prefectures in Japan.
senkotsu 洗骨
Lit. “Washing bones”
A mortuary practice associated with double burial, wherein human remains are left to decompose and the remaining bones are cleaned and reburied; common from the Amami to Yonagunijima Islands.
shīsā シーサー (Jpn. shishi 獅子)
Lion-shaped statues made of stone and often seen in pairs. Lion guardians are common across East Asia. Shīsā are Okinawan mythological creatures believed to protect from some evils.