How Many Do You Know? Japanese Words Known Around the World

Sushi, ramen, tempura – these are just a few examples of words that originated in Japan but are now widely known around the world. There are surprisingly many such words. One reason these words aren't translated into local languages is that Japanese culture and concepts are often difficult to express in English. It’s easier to convey the meaning by pronouncing the original Japanese word.

In this article, we will introduce some of the most well-known Japanese words around the world. How many do you know?

Food & Cuisine

• sushi 寿司
• sashimi 刺身
• sukiyaki すき焼き
• shabu-shabu しゃぶしゃぶ
• tempura 天ぷら
• teriyaki 照り焼き
• yakitori 焼き鳥
• takoyaki たこ焼き
• tonkatsu とんかつ
• soba そば
• ramen ラーメン
• tonkotsu 豚骨
• udon うどん
• tukemen つけ麺
• tofu 豆腐
• edameme 枝豆
• natto 納豆
• miso 味噌
• matsutake mushroom まつたけ
• enoki mushroom えのき茸
• shiitake mushroom しいたけ
• wasabi わさび
• daikon 大根
• kombu 昆布
• nori 海苔
• dashi 出汁
• umami 旨味
• bento 弁当
• matcha 抹茶
• sake 酒

Traditional Culture

• kabuki 歌舞伎
• ukiyoe 浮世絵
• haiku 俳句
• bonsai 盆栽
• zen 禅
• samurai 侍
• bushido 武士道
• ninja 忍者
• katana 刀

Sports

• sumo 相撲
• karate 空手
• judo 柔道
• kendo 剣道
• aikido 合気道

Subculture

• kawaii かわいい
• otaku オタク
• manga 漫画
• karaoke カラオケ
• pachinko パチンコ

Others

• omakase おまかせ
• mottainai もったいない
• shiatsu 指圧
• yakuza ヤクザ
• shinkansen 新幹線
• typhoon 台風

So, we’ve listed some of the major words from various categories, but how many of them were you familiar with?