Kimono—an ankle-length, T-shaped robe with long, wide sleeves, worn by both men and women. A younger woman’s kimono will have longer sleeves, signifying that she is unmarried. The styles range from casual to extremely formal. Elaborate kimono designs can consist of more than twelve separate pieces and incorporate up to sixty square feet of cloth.
Mempō—a face mask, one component of the armor worn by samurai. Mempō are often crafted to resemble fantastical creatures, or made in twisted designs intended to strike fear into the enemy.
Obi—a sash, usually worn with kimono. Men’s obi are usually narrow; no more than four inches wide. A formal woman’s obi can measure a foot in width and up to twelve feet in length. Obi are worn in various elaborate styles and tied in decorative bows and knots.
Uwagi—a kimono-like jacket that extends no lower than mid-thigh. Uwagi can have long, wide sleeves, or be cut in sleeveless fashion to display the wearer’s irezumi.
WEAPONS
Daishō—a paired set of swords, consisting of a katana and wakizashi. The weapons will usually be constructed by the same artisan, and have matching designs on the blades, hilts and scabbards. The daishō is a status symbol, marking the wearer as a member of the samurai caste.
Katana—a sword with a single-edged, curved, slender blade over two feet in length, and a long hilt bound in crisscrossed cord, allowing for a double-handed grip. Katana are usually worn with shorter blades known as wakizashi.
Nagamaki—a pole weapon with a large and heavy blade. The handle measures close to three feet, with the blade measuring the same. It closely resembles a naginata, but the weapon’s handle is bound in similar fashion to a katana hilt—cords wrapped in crisscrossed manner.
Naginata—a pole weapon, similar to a spear, with a curved, single-edged blade at the end. The haft typically measures between five and seven feet. The blade can be up to three feet long, and is similar to a katana.
ō-yoroi—suits of heavy samurai armor powered by chi-fueled engines. The armor augments the wearer’s strength, and is impenetrable to most conventional weaponry.
Tantō—a short, single-or double-edged dagger, between six and twelve inches in length. Women often carry a tantō for self-defense, as the knife can easily be concealed inside an obi.
Tetsubo—a long warclub, made of wood or solid iron, with iron spikes or studs at one end, used to crush armor, horses or other weapons in battle. The use of a tetsubo requires great balance and strength—a miss with the club can leave the wielder open to counterattack.
Wakizashi—a sword with a single-edged, curved, slender blade between one and two feet in length, with a short, single-handed hilt bound in crisscrossed cord. It is usually worn with a longer blade, known as a katana.
RELIGION
Amaterasu—Goddess of the Sun. Daughter of Izanagi, she was born along with Tsukiyomi, God of the Moon, and Susano-ō, God of Storms, when her father returned from Yomi and washed to purify himself of Yomi’s taint. She is a benevolent deity, a bringer of life, although in recent decades has become seen as a harsh and unforgiving goddess. She is not fond of either of her brothers, refusing to speak to Tsukiyomi, and constantly tormented by Susano-ō. She is patron of the Phoenix zaibatsu, and is also often venerated by women.
Enma-ō—one of the nine Yama Kings, and chief judge of all the hells. Enma-ō is the final arbiter of where a soul will reside after death, and how soon it will be allowed to rejoin the wheel of life.
Hachiman—the God of War. Originally a scholarly deity, thought of more as a tutor in the ways of war, Hachiman has become repersonified in recent decades to reflect the more violent warlike ways of the Shima government. He is now seen as the embodiment of war, often depicted with a weapon in one hand and a white dove in the other, signifying desire for peace, but readiness to act. He is patron of the Tiger zaibatsu.
The Hells—a collective term for the nine planes of existence where a soul can be sent after death. Many of the hells are places where souls are sent temporarily to suffer for transgressions in life, before moving back to the cycle of rebirth. Before Lord Izanagi commanded the Yama Kings to take stewardship over the souls of the damned in order to help usher them toward enlightenment, Shima had but a single hell—the dark, rotting pit of Yomi.
The Hungry Dead—the restless residents of the Underworld. Spirits of wicked people consigned to hunger and thirst in Yomi’s dark for all eternity.