In
Japanese, sama is a term indicating the greatest respect. One uses it to address
royalty,
nobility, and other people with whom high
formality and
reverence are desired. It is appended to a family name, like -
san, for example:
Bush-sama for the
president of the
United States.
In fact, in the
Shinto religion, one addresses a
god (
kami) as kami-sama.