The Ninja's Daughter (31 page)

And last, but certainly not least, to every reader—thank you for sharing this adventure with Hiro, Father Mateo, and me. If you liked this book, or any other, I hope you'll consider telling a friend about it. Your praise and your recommendation are the greatest rewards an author can receive.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

(IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)

Where present, Japanese characters' surnames precede their given names, in the Japanese style. Western surnames follow the characters' given names, in accordance with Western conventions.

Ana
– Father Mateo's housekeeper

Aki
– an actor with the Yutoku-za

Basho
– a wealthy Kyoto rice merchant

Botan
– head of the Yutoku-za, a troupe of actors specializing in
nō
theater

Chou
– Satsu's elder daughter; sister to Emi and Haru

Emi
– Satsu's younger daughter; sister to Chou and Haru

Father Mateo Ávila de Santos
– a Christian priest from Portugal, currently working in Kyoto

Gato
– Hiro's cat

Ginjiro
– a sake brewer; owner of Ginjiro's brewery

Hama
– Basho's wife

Haru
– Satsu's son; brother to Chou and Emi

Hattori Hiro
– a
shinobi
(ninja) assassin from the Iga
ryu
, hired by an anonymous benefactor to guard Father Mateo; at times, he uses the alias Matsui Hiro

Jiro
– Basho's apprentice

Luis Álvares
– a Portuguese merchant whose weapon sales finance Father Mateo's work

Magistrate Ishimaki
– a judge appointed to oversee justice in Kyoto

Matsunaga Hisahide*
– a samurai warlord who seized Kyoto in June 1565

Nori
– Satsu's wife

Oda Nobunaga*
– a samurai warlord

Ozuru
– a shinobi assassin from the Koga
ryu
, on assignment and posing as a carpenter in Kyoto

Rika
– Yuji's mother

Satsu
– an actor with the Yutoku-za; Nori's husband and father to Chou, Emi, and Haru

Suke
– a Buddhist monk who frequents Ginjiro's brewery

Tani
– Botan's elder brother

Tomiko
– Ginjiro's adult daughter

Yoriki Hosokawa
– a
yoriki
(assistant magistrate) in the service of Magistrate Ishimaki

Yuji
– an actor with the Yutoku-za

* Designates a character who, though fictionally represented, is based upon a historical figure. [All other characters are entirely fictitious.]

GLOSSARY OF JAPANESE TERMS

D

daimyo
: A samurai lord, usually the ruler of a province and/or the head of a samurai clan.

F

futon
: A thin padded mattress, small and pliable enough to be folded and stored out of sight during the day.

H

hakama
: Loose, pleated pants worn over kimono or beneath a tunic or surcoat.

I

ichibancha
: “first picked tea”—tea leaves picked in April or early May, during the first picking of the season.
Ichibancha
is considered the highest quality, and most flavorful, type of tea.

J

jitte
: A long wooden or metal nightstick with a forward-pointing hook at the top of the hand grip; carried by
dōshin
as both a weapon and a symbol of office.

K

kami
: The Japanese word for “god” or “divine spirit”; used to describe gods, the spirits inhabiting natural objects, and certain natural forces of divine origin.

kanzashi
: a type of hairpin worn by women in medieval Japan.

katana
: The longer of the two swords worn by a samurai. (The shorter one is the
wakizashi.
)

kimono
: Literally, “a thing to wear.” A full-length wraparound robe traditionally worn by Japanese people of all ages and genders.

koban
: A gold coin that came into widespread use in Japan during the later medieval period.

kunoichi
: A female
shinobi
.

kyogen
: A traditional form of Japanese theater, featuring comic or satirical plays, which was traditionally performed between
nō
plays.
Kyogen
actors were lower-ranked socially, and within the theater guilds, than actors who performed in
nō
.

M

miso
: A traditional Japanese food paste made from fermented soybeans (or, sometimes, rice or barley).

N

nō
(sometimes written
nô
or
noh
): A Japanese dramatic form, where the plays (customarily performed by all-male casts wearing masks) retold traditional Japanese stories through stylized recitation, song, and dance.

noren
: A traditional Japanese doorway hanging, with a slit cut up the center to permit passage.

O

obi
: A wide sash wrapped around the waist to hold a kimono closed, worn by people of all ages and genders.

oe
: The large central living space in a Japanese home, which featured a sunken hearth and often served as a combination of kitchen, reception room, and living space.

ōtsuzumi
: A hand-held, hourglass-shaped drum; one of the three types of drums used to accompany
nō
drama.

P

Pontochō
: One of Kyoto's
hanamachi
(literally, a “flower town”), a district containing geisha houses, teahouses, brothels, restaurants, and similar businesses.

R

ronin
: A masterless samurai.

ryu
: Literally, “school.”
Shinobi
clans used this term as a combination identifier and association name. (Hattori Hiro is a member of the Iga ryu.)

S

sake
(also
saké
): An alcoholic beverage made from fermented rice.

-sama
: A suffix used to show even higher respect than
-san
.

samurai
: A member of the medieval Japanese nobility, the warrior caste that formed the highest-ranking social class.

-san
: A suffix used to show respect.

seppuku
: A form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment, originally used only by samurai.

shinobi
: Literally, “shadowed person.”
Shinobi
is the Japanese pronunciation of the characters that many Westerners pronounce “ninja.” (“Ninja” is based on a Chinese pronunciation.)

shite
: The term for the leading actor in a
nō
drama.

shogun
: The military dictator and commander who acted as de facto ruler of medieval Japan.

shogunate
: a name for the shogun's government and/or the compound where the shogun lived.

shoji
: a sliding door, usually consisting of a wooden frame with oiled paper panels.

shuriken
: An easily concealed, palm-sized weapon made of metal and often shaped like a cross or star, which
shinobi
used for throwing or as a hand-held weapon in close combat.

T

tabi
: An ankle-length Japanese sock with a separation between the big toe and other toes to facilitate the use of sandals and other traditional Japanese footwear.

tanto
: A fixed-blade dagger with a single or double-edged blade measuring six to twelve inches (15-30 cm) in length.

tatami
: A traditional Japanese mat-style floor covering made in standard sizes, with the length measuring precisely twice its width.
Tatami
usually contained a straw core covered with grass or rushes.

tokonoma
: A decorative alcove or recessed space set into the wall of a Japanese room. The
tokonoma
typically held a piece of art, a flower arrangement, or a hanging scroll.

torii
: A traditional, stylized Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance to Shinto shrines.

U

udon
: A type of thick wheat flour noodle, often served hot in soup or broth.

umeboshi
: Pickled plums; a favorite Japanese snack that dates to medieval times.

W

waki
: The term for a supporting actor in a
nō
drama.

wakizashi
: The shorter of the two swords worn by a samurai. (The longer one is the
katana.
)

For additional cultural information, expanded definitions, and author's notes, visit
http://www.susanspann.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susan Spann
is the author of three previous novels in the Shinobi Mystery series:
Claws of the Cat
,
Blade of the Samurai
, and
Flask of the Drunken Master
. She has a degree in Asian studies and a lifelong love of Japanese history and culture. When not writing or practicing law, she raises seahorses and rare corals in her marine aquarium.