Last year, I ran a daily feature on my Twitter account, looking at a new letter of the alphabet, with a twist! Introducing the #Japanalphabet ‘campaign’, in which I pass on a new word to do with Japan every day! Now that I have stretched all the way to ‘Z’, here is the complete alphabet below for your reading pleasure.

A: Ainu, indigenous people of Japan originating from the Jōmon period.

B: Bushido, the way of the warrior.

C: Chanoyu, the Japanese tea ceremony.

D: Diet, the lower house of the Japanese parliament.

E: Ebisu, the Japanese god of fishermen and working men.

F: Futon, a flat mattress and the traditional bedding of Japan

G: Geisha, traditional female entertainers, literally translating to ‘art doer’.

H: Harajuku, the greatest fashion district in Tokyo.

I: Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement.

J: Jinja – the shinto shrine.

K: Kabuki, the classical Japanese dance-drama.

L: Love Hotels, hotels designed specifically for giving couples privacy for … sexual activities!

M: Matcha, delicious green tea powder.

N: Neko, the Japanese word for cat. See Maneki Neko.

O: Onsen, Japanese hot springs. The ultimate way to unwind.

P: Pachinko, the Japanese pinball gaming device!

Q: Qoo, Japan’s delicious carbonated drink.

R: Ryuteki, a Shinto classical instrument. Also known as ‘dragon flute’.

S: Sensu, a Japanese handheld fan.

T: Taiko, the great Japanese drum.

U: Umeshu, Japanese plum liqueur.

V: Visual kei, a genre of Japanese rock music characterised by elaborate hairstyles and makeup.

W: Wakamaru, the world’s first retail robot.

X:  X-Japan (エックス ジャパン), heavy metal rock band and pioneers of the visual kei movement.

Y:  Yakuza, Japanese gangsters, often identifiable by their tattoos.

Z: Zuijin, the protective warrior guardians placed in Shinto shrines.