It is used in Japanese as a suffix for various arts and implies that they are not just techniques but have spiritual elements. In this circumstance it is usually translated as "the way of". It is the same word and concept as the Chinese (Dao). For example, Japanese tea ceremony is called "Sado" and flower arrangement is called "Kado" these translate to "the way of tea" and "the way of flowers" respectively. Since the Meiji period, Japanese martial artists have adopted this suffix for names of martial arts such as Aikido, Judo and Kendo.

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