Glossary & Language Aids
One of this project’s aims is to increase awareness of and accessibility to Japanese-language source material, not only for seasoned scholars proficient in Japanese, but also for students, scholars, and members of the public who may have limited knowledge of the Japanese language.
The following are translations of some relevant terms found in the primary sources contained in this site’s database. Not all terms have one to one translations. Brief translation notes have been included where appropriate. For other terms not present here, please click here for a capable online dictionary.
| The South (archaic) | 南方 (nanpō) |
| Southern Archipelago (corresponding to the Japanese mandate under the League of Nations, formerly German colonies – i.e. what is today Palau, Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands) | 南洋諸島 (nanyōshotō) |
| Southeast Asia | 東南アジア (tōnan ajia) |
| Notes: While not necessarily derogatory per se, the term 南方 (nanpō) is an older term referring to the broad area south of China (similar to the Chinese ‘Nanyang’), encompassing what is today referred to as Southeast Asia and the ‘Pacific Islands’. | |
| The Second World War | 第二次世界大戦 (Dai ni sekai taisen) |
| The Pacific War | 太平洋戦争 (Taiheiyō sen) |
| The Greater East Asia War | 大東亜戦争 (Daitōa sen) |
| Notes: Because of its association with the Japanese-conceived ‘Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere,’ the term 大東亜戦争 (Daitōa sen) is regarded by some as carrying an implicit endorsement of empire. | |
| Veteran | ベテラン (beteran) |
| Former soldier | 元軍人 (moto gunjin) |
| War comrade | 戦友 (senyū) |
| Ex-serviceman/retired soldier | 退役軍人 (taieki gunjin) |
| Notes: The term戦友 (senyū) is most commonly used by Japanese veterans to refer to each other, particularly those who they have some unit association with. The loan word ベテラン (beteran) is not as frequently used. | |
| China | 中国 (chūgoku) |
| China (archaic) | 支那 (shina) |
| Notes: The term支那 (shina) was commonly used pre-WW2 but has come to be regarded by some as derogatory and has fallen out of official use post-WW2. | |
| Military Police/Gendarmerie (Army) | 憲兵隊 (Kenpeitai/Kempeitai) |
| Special Higher Police (Home Ministry) ‘Security Police’ ‘Thought Police’ |
特別高等警察 (Tokubetsu Kōtō Keisatsu) 治安警察 (Chian Keisatsu) 思想警察 (Shisō Keisatsu) |
| Special Police Corps (Navy) | 特別警察隊 (Tokubetsu Keisatsutai) |
| Notes:Imperial Japan had multiple secret police organizations. These answered to different, sometimes competing parts of the Japanese government/military apparatus and shared some practical functions in common. | |