Ainu: A Caucasian race living on the island of Hokkaido.
Considered to be barbarians by the Japanese.
Akindo: A merchant.
Amaterasu: A major goddess and kami of Shintoism.
Amaterasu is revered above all other Shinto gods.
Amatsu-Tsumi: A form of Shinto sin. Ame-no-Uzume: The kami of merriment. Amida: A Buddhist deity.
Ashigaru: A warrior class drawn from the peasantry or
Senmin caste.
Askuku: One of the contemplative Buddhas. Bajutsu: The skill of riding and horsemanship.
Bakku yoraku: A Buddhist term referring to the alleviation
of human suffering.
Bishamonten: A Buddhist war god.
Biwa: A lake in the Kanto plane and the largest in
Japan.
Bojutsu: The skill of using the staff (bo) in combat. Bosatsu: Mortals who have achieved Buddhist
enlightenment.
Bōzu: A Buddhist priest. Buke: Minor aristocracy. Bushi: The warrior profession. Cha no Yu: Tea Ceremony. Cha: Tea.
Chunin: Ninja clan adviser.
Dai Sho: Two swords worn together as a sign of samurai
rank.
Dai-: a prefi x meaning ‘Great’.
Daiitoku: One of the protective Buddhas. Daijo Daijin: Prime Minister.
Daijo Kan: The Department of State.
Daikokuten: Buddhist god of warriors and farmers. Daimyo: The ruling head of a clan or family. Daimyo
means ‘Great Name’.
Dainagon: Ministers of State. Chief advisers. Dainichi: One of the contemplative Buddhas. Daishonin: A scribe.
Dō: A breastplate.
Dō-maru: Literally a ‘body wrapper’. Part of
ashigaru armour.
Eboshi: A conical hat made of paper. Enma- Ō: Buddhist guardian of Hell.
Fudō: One of the protective Buddhas.
Fuji: Mount Fujiyama, highest of the Japanese
mountains.
Gaikoukan: A diplomat. Gakusha: A scholar.
Ganjitsu: New Year and a Buddhist/Shinto festival. Genin: Ninja clan member.
Geta: Clog-like footwear. Gin: A silver coin.
Go-Chi: Collective name for the contemplative
Buddhas.
Gōzanze: One of the protective Buddhas. Gundari: One of the protective Buddhas. Gyobu-sho: Ministry of Justice.
Hachi-maki: A headband.
Hachiman: A Buddhist and Shinto war deity. Haidate: Armoured thigh guards.
Hanamatsuri: Buddha’s birthday, a festival day. Hangan: A magistrate.
Haori: An everyday jacket.
Happuri: A facemask, attached to a kabuto.
Heian: The classical period of Japan, lasting between 794
and 1192. The default period for RuneQuest: Land of the
Samurai.
Heihaku: A paper representation of a kami’s presence.
Found in Shinto shrines.
Heimin: The peasant class. Also called hyakusho. Hi: Element of Fire.
Higan: The spring equinox. A Shinto festival. Hiki-me: A signalling arrow.
Hiragana: One of the Japanese alphabets. Hitsuji: A goat.
Hokkaido: Northernmost Island of the Japanese
archipelago.
Hondo: Main hall of a Buddhist temple.
Hongaku shiso: The Tendai Buddhist belief in Original
Enlightenment.
Hononinigi: A divine prince sent to Shikoku with the
Imperial Regalia.
Honshū: Largest of Japan’s islands. Hyakoushou: A farmer.
Hyobu-sho: Ministry of Military Affairs. I: A boar.
Glossary
121
Iajutsu: Skill of drawing a sword and cutting in the same
motion.
Inari: A Buddhist and Shinto deity.
Insei: ‘Cloistered Emperor’. The Insei system allowed
an Emperor to retire but still continue to wield power without occupying the offi ce directly.
Inu: A dog.
Isha: A herbalist and healer.
Iwashimizu: A Shinto festival honouring Hachiman. Izanagi: One of the Creator deities.
Izanami: One of the Creator deities.
Jenmin: A female bard or entertainer, typically a lady of
the Imperial Court.
Jibu-sho: The Ministry of Civil Affairs.
Jikoku: Buddhist guardian of the east. One of the Shi
Daitennō.
Jinaimachi: A Buddhist temple town. Jinja: A Shinto shrine.
Jizo: A Buddhist deity – patron of travellers. Jojiki: A peddler or travelling tinker.
Jojutsu: The skill of using the short staff (jo) in combat. Jonin: Ninja clan elder.
Jujutsu: A Martial Art similar to judo. Jūzenkai: The 10 precepts of Buddhism. Ka: Element of Metal.
Kabuto: A helmet.
Kaishakunin: Assistant present in the seppuku ritual. Kamajutsu: Use of the fl ail in combat.
Kami: A nature spirit, revered by the Shinto religion.
A kami can be anything that inspires awe and wonderment.
Kami-na-zuki: The Month of No Gods. A Shinto
festival.
Kanji: The formal Japanese alphabet.
Kanko: Bureaucrats and servants of the government
ministries.
Kanname-sai: A Shinto festival honouring Inari. Harvest
Festival.
Kannushi: A Shinto priest.
Karma: Buddhist fortune and worth. Kasa: A conical hat made of straw. Kataginu: Court jacket or tabard.
Katakana: One of the Japanese alphabets. Katana: Longsword.
Kempo: The headquarters or main temple, of a Buddhist
sect.
Kenin: Lesser advisers, bureaucrats and servants to Buke
families.
Kenjutsu: Swordsmanship.
Ki: Element of Wood. Also a reference to powers of
supreme concentration.
Kimono: Everyday Japanese robes, worn wrapped around
the body.
Kiri-sute-comen: Killing and Walking Away; the right of
the samurai to kill disrespectful people of lower social standing.
Koku: Amount of rice needed to sustain a person for
one year. Also refers to one gold coin.
Kōmoku: Buddhist guardian of the west. One of the Shi
Daitennō.
Kongō-Yasha: One of the protective Buddhas. Kote: Armoured sleeve.
Kuge: Aristocracy.
Kuji-kuri: Ninja sign language.
Kukai: A Heian priest who developed the Shingon sect
of Buddhism.
Kunai-sho: Minisry of the Imperial Household. Kunitsu-Tsumi: A form of Shinto sin.
Kusanagi: One of the three heavenly treasures forming
part of the Imperial Regalia. Kusanagi is a sword.
Kusarijutsu: Use of the two handed fl ail in combat. Kwaidan: A ghost; an unquiet spirit.
Kyujutsu: Archey.
Kyushu: One of the four main Japanese islands. Ma: A Horse.
Mabisashi: A helmet (kabuto) crest.
Magatama: One of the three heavenly treasures forming
part of the Imperial Regalia. Magatama are the jewels.
Marishiten: Buddhist war goddess: the Divine Light. Masakarijutsu: Use of the axe.
Matsuri: Name for any religious festival. Mi: A serpent.
Minbu-sho: The Ministry of People Affairs. Mizu: Element of Water.
Mon: Clan or family’s heraldic device. Also used as a
term for a copper coin.
Myō-ō: Collective name for the protective Buddhas. Mzu: A year.
Naginata: Polearm.
Naginatajutsu: Use of the naginata or similar polearm. Nakatsukasa-sho: Ministry of the Centre – legal clearing
house.
Nawanukejutsu: The art of escaping from bonds. Ne: A rat.
Nekode: Hooked gloves used for climbing. Nio: Guardian statue of a Buddhist temple gate. Nusubito: A thief.
Obi: A belt or sash.
O-bon: Buddhist festival of the dead. Okura-sho: The Treasury.
122
Glossary
On: Personal honour.
Onojutsu: Use of the two handed axe (ono).
Pagoda: A tiered structure found in Buddhist temples. Reijin: A male bard or entertainer.
Ryōbu-Shinto: A mixture of the Buddhist and Shinto
faiths.
Ryōko: Imperial Court bureaucrats. Ryōmin: Social caste – ‘Good Citizens’. Ryoushi: A fi sherman.
Sadaijin: Minister of the Left.
-Sama: An honorifi c suffi x to a given name, implying
great courtesy.
Samurai: The warrior caste of Japan. Samurai means ‘To
Serve’.
San Senjin: Buddhist war gods.
-San: A honorifi c suffi x to a given name.
Sangaku shinko: ‘Mountain beliefs’ – the reverence for all
Japanese mountains.
Saru: A monkey.
Senmin: Social caste – ‘Low Citizens’. Sennin: Head of a ninja clan. Sensei: A Teacher.
Seppuku: Ritual suicide.
Setsubun: A Shinto festival marking the end of winter. Shaka: One of the contemplative Buddhas.
Shi Daitennō: The collective name for the Four Heavenly
Kings of Buddhism.
Shikibu-sho: Ministry of Ceremony.
Shikoku: One of the four main Japanese islands. Shikoro: A neckguard, attached to a kabuto. Shingon: A particular sect of Buddhism. Shōen: Ownership of land and property. Shogaku: The art of calligraphy.
Shogun: Military dictator but also a term used for a
General.
Shokunin: A craftsman or artisan. Sō: A monk, typically Buddhist.
Sodegaramijutsu: Use of the Polearm; distinct from
sojutsu.
Sōhei: The warrior-monks of the Buddhist temples. Sojutsu: Use of the spear (yari).
Suifu: A sailor – distinct from a fi sherman (Ryoushi). Suitengu: A kami of the sea.
Suneate: Armoured shin guards.
Susano’o: Brother of Amaterasu, a Shinto deity. Tachi: Longsword.
Taho: One of the contemplative Buddhas. Tajikara-O: A Shinto deity.
Tamon: Buddhist guardian of the north. One of the Shi
Daitennō.
Tantojutsu: Use of the dagger. Tatsu: A dragon.
Teishin: A courtier, typically of noble birth. Togi: An acrobat or entertainer.
Toki: One hour. Tora: A tiger. Tori: A cockerel. Tori-oi: Falconry.
Tsuchi: Element of Earth. Tsukimi: A Shinto festival.
Tsukuyomi: Brother of Amaterasu, a Shinto deity. U: A hare.
Udaijin: Minister of the Right. Ushi: An ox.
Wakazashi: Shortsword.
Watakushi: A barbed arrow – ‘bowelraker’. Ya-awase: An arrow duel.
Yabusame: The art of archery from horseback. Yakushi: One of the contemplative Buddhas.
Yamabushi: Adherents of the Shugendo sect of
Buddhism; warrior monks.
Yata: One of the three heavenly treasures forming part
of the Imperial Regalia. Yata is a mirror.
Yoroi: Samurai armour. Youjutsusha: A sorcerer.
Zasu: Abbot of a Buddhist monastery or temple. Zōchō: Buddhist guardian of the south. One of the Shi
Index
123
INDEX
Address 23
Advanced Spirit Magic from theRuneQuest Spell Book 79 Akindo (Merchant) 44 Amaterasu no kami 66 Amida 61 Ancestral Kami 77 Armour 53 Arrows 59 Arrows of Heaven 72 Arrow Duels 84 Ashigaru 45
Ashigaru Armour - Dõ-Maru 54 Available Divine Spells 73 Available Sorcery 81 Awareness of Hachiman 73 Bad Karma Penalties 63 Bakemono 91
Belt (Obi) 54 Bishamonten 62 Blessing of Nio 75 Blessing of the Myo-O 75 Bless (X) 80
Boots and Clogs (Geta) 54 Bosatsu 61
Bow, The 23
Bowel Raker (Watakushi) 59 Buddhas, The 61
Buddhism 60
Buddhism and Purity 63 Buddhist Divine Spells 74 Buddhist Magic 73 Buddhist Sects 63
Buddhist Sect Skills and Magic 65 Buke, The 36
Bushi (Warrior) 44 Calligraphy (INT+DEX) 50 Capital Crimes 26
Castes 36
Character Creation Checklist 31 Chronology of the Heian Period 12 Clans 32
Clans, Families and Alliances 31 Clan and Family Dynamics 21 Clan and Family On 43 Clan Struggle 106 Climate 6 Climbing Pole 90 Close Combat Weapons 58 Clothing 54
Coinage Values 28
Compounds 88
Courtesy and Manners 22 Court Intrigue 106 Court Tabard (Kataginu) 55 Crime and Punishment 26 Currency 28 Daiitoku 62 Daikokuten 62 Daishonin (Scribe) 45 Dai kyu 58 Dai Sho 24 Death 22
Defeating a Mythical Enemy 107 Deities 61
Department of State 25 Diet 28
Disguise 87 Divination (INT) 50
Divine Spells from the RuneQuest Spell Book 74
Emperors in the Heian Period 20 Emperor and Regency 25 Enma Õ 61 Entry Equipment 90 Equipment Quality 53 Escape (DEX+INT) 88 Everyday Items 55 Falconry (INT+DEX) 50 Families 32 Families and On 43 Family Advancement 107 Female given Names 21 Firepot 90
Footwear 23
From Youth to Retirement 22 Fudo 62 Gaikoukan (Diplomat) 46 Gaining On 42 Gaki 92 Gakusha (Scholar) 46 Gempei Wars: 1180 - 1185 18 Gender Roles 31 General Equipment 90 Ghosts 93
Gifts and Heirlooms 51 Go-Chi 62
Government 24 Gõzanze 62
Great Council of State 25 Gundari 62
Hachiman 62, 66
Hangan (Magistrate) 46 Han kyu 58
Hats (Eboshi, Kasa and Hachi-Maki) 55 Heian Period, The 10 Henge-inu (Dog) 94 Henge-I (Boar) 94 Henge-neko (Cat) 94 Henge-nezumi (Rat) 95 Henge-saru (Monkey) 95 Henge-U (Hare) 96 Hengeyokai 93 Heraldry (INT) 50 Historical 107 Hokkaido 6 Holy Days 64, 70 Honsh 7
Hooked Gloves (Nekode) 90 Hours of the Day 29 Hummingbulb (Hiki-me) 59 Hyakoushou (Farmer) 46 Iajutsu (DEX) 50 Imperial Court 36 Inari 62, 67 Interpret Mandala 76
Isha (Herbalists and Healers) 46 Izanagi 67
Izanami 67 Jacket (Haori) 55
Japanese Calendar and Time 29 Japanese Elements (Trunks) 29 Japanese Given Names. 21 Japanese Hours (Toki) 29 Japanese Time Divisions 30 Japanese Zodiacal Signs (Twigs) 29 Jizo 62
Jojiki (Peddler) 46 Kami and Magic 78 Kami and Powers 76
Kami of Place and Elements 77 Kami Spirit Magic 78
Kannushi (Shinto Priest) 47 Kappa (River Child) 97 Killing - Kiri-sute-gomen 26 Kimono 55
Kirin (Dragon Horse, Wind Stallion) 98
Kitsune 99 Ki Abilities 71 Kongõ-Yasha 62 Kyushu 7
124
Index
Language and Literacy 24 Lineage and Challenges 83 Lore (Yogen) INT 88 Losing On 42 Magic 60, 65
Magic and Sorcery 108 Magic Point Sacrifi ces 69 Major Kami 77
Male given Names 21 Marishiten 62 Marriage 21 Meditation (POW) 51 Melee Weapons 56 Minor Kami 76 Money 44 Mujina 100 Mukade 100
New Advanced Skills 50 New Buddhist Divine Spells 75 New Kai/Legendary Abilities 72 New Shinto Divine Spells 80 Ninja 86, 108 Ninja-to 90 Ninja Characters 89 Ninja Equipment 88 Nusubito (Thief) 47 On 41 Oni (Demon) 101 Other Kami 68 Permissible Ki Abilities 71 Pilgrimages and Quests 109 Playing a Sorcerer 81 Polluton Penalties 68 Prayer of Heaven 80 Prayer of Nirvana 76 Prayer of Peace 76, 80 Prayer of Wisdom 76, 81 Priesthood, The 37 Professions 44 Proof of Loyalty 108 Provinces, Cities and Towns 9 Provincial Governors 25 Purity 60
Purity Test Modifi ers 69 Ranged Weapons 58, 59 Reijin (Bard) 47
Rise of the Samurai 11 Rise of the Warrior Monks 12 Rokuro-kubi 102
Role of the Ninja, The 88 Rope Ladders 90 Ryõmin Caste 36 Ryoushi (Fisherman) 47 Sample On Gains 42 Sample On Losses 42 Samurai 44, 82
Samurai Armour - Yoroi 53 San Senjin 62
Senmin Caste 37 Seppuku 27 Shikoku 8
Shingon Buddhism 63
Shingon Priest and Monk Skills 65 Shingon Sõhei Skills 65
Shinobi-kyu 58, 90 Shinto 65
Shinto Creation Myth 4 Shinto Deities 66 Shinto Magic 76 Shinto Purity 68 Shinto Shrines 69
Shinto Skills and Magic 70 Shi Daitennõ 62 Shokunin (Craftsman) 48 Shuten-doji 103 Sign Language 88 Skills 49 Sleeping Draught 89 Sleight 88 Smokescreen 88 Social Outlook 21 Sõhei 85
Sõhei and Divine Magic 74 Sõhei and Yamabushi (Warrior Monk) 48
Sorcery 81
Sõ and Bõzu (Buddhist Monk and Priest) 48
Special Techniques 88
Spirit Magic Spells Available to Kami 78
Spirit Magic Spells from the Rune-
Quest Spell Book Forbidden to Kami 79
Standards of Living 28
Status and Culture Background 38 Stealth 88
Suifu (Sailor) 48 Suitengu 67 Susano’o 67
Sword of the Samurai 85 Tatsu (Dragon) 104 Tea 28
Teishin (Courtier) 49 Temples 63
Temple Intrigue and Confl ict 109 Tendai Buddhism 63
Tendai Priest and Monk Skills 65 Tendai Sõhei Skills 65
Tengu 105
Themes for Campaigns 106 The Japanese Islands 6 The Myõ-õ 62
The Way of the Horse and the Bow 83
Three Families 10
Togi (Acrobat/Entertainer) 49 Towns and Cities of Japan 8 Training and Skills 87 Tsukuyomi 67
Using Hero Points to Mitigate On Loss 43
Using Ki Abilities 71 Using On 41 Using Purity 68
Using the Cult Rules forShinto Priests 70
Using the Cult Rules for Buddhists 65
Venom of the Tatsu 89 Weapons 23, 56, 90 Weights and Measures 30 Whirling Blade of Buddha 73 Worship 64, 69
Yabusame (DEX) 51 Yadomejutsu (DEX) 51 Yari-Nage 58