overall victory; championship
being the runner-up; finishing second
to become known; to come to light; to be known; to be understood; to clearly not amount to much; to be insignificant
careful; cautious; prudent; discreet; deliberate
it was, wasn't it?; must have been; I think (it was); how might it have been?
principle; general rule; as a rule; in principle; in general
straw bag; sack; bale; counter for sacks (of rice, potatoes, coal, etc.)
centre of gravity (center); centroid; barycenter; (one's) balance
Christmas Eve; holy night
isn't it great?; carnival-like religious celebrations (e.g. dancing festivals) that occurred across Japan from June 1867 to May 1868
black belt (judo, karate, etc.)
how many people; a number of people
to throw; to hurl; to give up; to abandon; to cast (a glance, shadow, doubt, etc.)
to give; to do (something) for
first-person plural (or singular); second or third person plural (implies speaker is of higher status than those referred to)
willingness (e.g. to do something); eagerness; motivation; inspiration; determination; high aspirations
hakama; man's formal divided skirt
speaker; narrator; speaker (of a language)
coming out; going out; attending (work); appearing (on stage); start; beginning; origins
pre-war days; before the war
simple; easy; uncomplicated; brief; quick; light
incredible; unbelievable; terrific; impressive
to give up; to abandon (hope, plans); to resign oneself (to)
sudden; abrupt; urgent; pressing; steep; sharp; rapid
sturdy spirit; bold; daring; brave; valiant; undaunted
certificate; certified document; (the) thumbs up; seal of approval; paper with signature of the shogun or lord
ridge on the side of a sword blade; ridged pattern
dragon (esp. a Chinese dragon); naga; semi-divine human-cobra chimera in Hindu and Buddhist mythology; promoted rook
cutting; severance; section; amputation; disconnection
edge (of a knife or sword); prong (of an electrical plug)
round; spherical; circular
to peel; to skin; to pare; to hull; to bare (e.g. fangs); to open wide (e.g. eyes)
feature; trait; characteristic; peculiarity; distinction
to draw the conclusion that ...; to conclude
the (four) limbs; arms and legs