country in civil war; country disarrayed by war; Warring States period (Japan, China); competiton in which there are several evenly-matched participants; hotly-contested game (match, market, etc.)
national convention; national competition; national athletic meet
distinction; difference; separate; different; exception; exclusion
preliminary contest; qualifying round; trial; heat; primary
indicates sentence subject (occasionally object); indicates possessive (esp. in literary expressions); but; however; regardless of; whether (or not)
finally; at last; in the end; after all; never (happened)
raising the curtain; opening (of an event); start of a season
indicates sentence topic; indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated); adds emphasis
Kyūshū (southernmost of the four main islands of Japan)
Okinawa (city, prefecture)
from (e.g. time, place, numerical quantity); since; from (originator); by; because; since; out of (constituent, part)
north; the North; northern territories; North Korea; (arch.) north wind
Hokkaido (island, prefectural-level administrative unit)
until (a time); till; to (a place or person); as far as; to (an extent); up to
every region of the country; all corners of the country; nationwide
at; in; at; when; by; with; and then
simultaneously; all at once; in unison
fierce fight; close contest
indicates possessive; nominalizes verbs and adjectives; substitutes for "ga" in subordinate phrases; (at sentence-end, falling tone) indicates a confident conclusion; (at sentence-end) indicates emotional emphasis; (at sentence-end, rising tone) indicates question
apron of a gun; cover for the touch-hole on a cannon or matchlock
to cut; to cut through; to sever (connections, ties); to turn off (e.g. the light); to terminate (e.g. a conversation); to hang up (the phone); to punch (a ticket)
Kanto; region consisting of Tokyo and surrounding prefectures; Kanto; north-eastern half of Japan (during the feudal era)
trump card; ace up one's sleeve; secret weapon
warrior (esp. of military retainers of daimyos in the Edo period); samurai
dragon (as depicted in Western myths)
sky; heaven; God; svarga (heaven-like realm visited as a stage of death and rebirth); deva (divine being of Buddhism); top (of a book); sole (of a Japanese sandal)
extremely; terrifically; super
win; victory; beautiful scenery; scenic spot; counter for wins
first match (in a series)
indicates direct object of action; indicates subject of causative expression; indicates an area traversed; indicates time (period) over which action takes place; indicates point of departure or separation of action; indicates object of desire, like, hate, etc.
white circle; white star; victory mark
to decorate; to ornament; to display; to exhibit; to mark (e.g. the day with a victory); to adorn (e.g. the front page)
(approximate) time; around; suitable time (or condition); time of year; season
here; this place; this point; here; these past ... (e.g. three years); these last ...
capital (esp. Kyoto, Japan's former capital); seat of government; capital (of music, fashion, etc.); city (e.g. of light); location of the Imperial Palace
proceeding to the capital
fear; dread; dismay; terror; horror; scare
unification of the whole country
at (place, time); in; to (direction, state); toward; for (purpose); because of (reason); for
to come alive; to get going; to start to move
how; in what way; how about
to do; to carry out; to cause to become; to make (into); to serve as; to act as; to wear (clothes, a facial expression, etc.)
now; soon; already; yet; further; more
the end; closing; being done for; that's it; that's enough; that's all