from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Japan \Ja*pan"\, a.
Of or pertaining to Japan, or to the lacquered work of that
country; as, Japan ware.
[1913 Webster]
{Japan allspice} (Bot.), a spiny shrub from Japan
({Chimonanthus fragrans}), related to the Carolina
allspice.
{Japan black} (Chem.), a quickly drying black lacquer or
varnish, consisting essentially of asphaltum dissolved in
naphtha or turpentine, and used for coating ironwork; --
called also {Brunswick black}, {Japan lacquer}, or simply
{Japan}.
{Japan camphor}, ordinary camphor brought from China or
Japan, as distinguished from the rare variety called
{borneol} or {Borneo camphor}.
{Japan clover}, or {Japan pea} (Bot.), a cloverlike plant
({Lespedeza striata}) from Eastern Asia, useful for
fodder, first noticed in the Southern United States about
1860, but now become very common. During the Civil War it
was called variously {Yankee clover} and {Rebel clover}.
{Japan earth}. See {Catechu}.
{Japan ink}, a kind of writing ink, of a deep, glossy black
when dry.
{Japan varnish}, a varnish prepared from the milky juice of
the {Rhus vernix}, a small Japanese tree related to the
poison sumac.
[1913 Webster]