| A | B |
|---|
| Mount Everest | on the border of China and Nepal, the highest mountain peak in the Himalayas and the world |
| Mount Fuji | the tallest mountain in Japan |
| Ring of Fire | an area of volcanic activity along the borders of the Pacific Ocean |
| typhoon | a hurricane that occurs in the western Pacific Ocean |
| dynasty | family of rulers |
| Genghis Khan | Mongol leader who invaded China in 1200's CE |
| Kublai Khan | leader of China who founded the Yuan Dynasty in 1279 CE |
| Confucius | Chinese philosopher who taught the importance of moral character and individual responsibility |
| bureaucracy | the administration of a government through departments called bureaus |
| Taoism | a Chinese philosophy based on the importance of finding harmony with nature |
| Lao Tzu | a Chinese philosopher who founded Taoism in the 500's BCE |
| Shinto | a Japanese religion that developed around 300 BCE |
| clan | a group of families who trace their descent from a common ancestor |
| Heian Age | the golden age of Japanese culture, from 794-1185 CE |
| The Tale of Genji | The first novel ever written, it describes life at Heiankyo;s imperial court |
| Zen | a branch of Buddhism practiced in Japan, which emphasizes that people can achieve enlightenment suddenly |
| samurai | Japanese warriors who each pledged to serve a particular lord and protect his estate |
| shogun | in feudal Japan, the emperor's chief general, who held most of the country's power |
| shogunate | a warrior government in which the emperor and his court only had ceremonial duties |
| Silk Road | a 4,000 mile trading route used by the Chinese o carry silk, porcelain, and other items |
