Japan's best; number one in Japan
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
that; the; part (as in "part two"); um ...; er ...
new face; newcomer; rookie; modern humans (from Cro-Magnon man onwards)
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.
one building (hall, temple, shrine, room); same room; same place; same building
at (place, time); in; to (direction, state); toward; for (purpose); because of (reason); for
to collect; to assemble; to gather
fighting with real swords; game played in real earnest
by means of; due to; because of; according to
to carry to extremes; to go to the end of something; to investigate thoroughly; to master
called; named; as many as; as much as; all ...; every single ...
war; battle; match; game; competition
indicates sentence subject (occasionally object); indicates possessive (esp. in literary expressions); but; however; regardless of; whether (or not)
holding (a conference, exhibition, etc.); opening; hosting (e.g. the Olympics)
to have been decided (so) that; to have been arranged (so) that
that; it; then; that point (in time); (arch.) there; (arch.) you
challenge; defiance; dare; attempt; try
branch office; branch store
indicates a question; or; whether or not; some- (e.g. something, someone); hmm; huh; very
just (e.g. "just wait here"); come now; tolerably; passably; well...; I think...
if; when; and; with; used for quoting (thoughts, speech, etc.); promoted pawn; indicates a question
Kawachi (former province located in the east of present-day Osaka Prefecture)
skin; hide; rind; peel; shell; sheath
two persons; two people; pair; couple
indicates sentence topic; indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated); adds emphasis
preliminary contest; qualifying round; trial; heat; primary
subject; theme; homework; assignment; task; challenge
to get moldy; to get mouldy; to get out-of-fashion
difficult to ...; hard to ...
food; foodstuff; eating; appetite; meal; portion
bread; (sweet) pastry; staff of life; one's bread
barrier; obstacle; difficulty; hurdle; deadlock
breaking through; breakthrough; surmounting; overcoming; exceeding; passing
to become; to get; to result in; to turn out; to consist of; to be composed of; to be completed
ah!; oh!; yes; indeed; aah; gah
this; this one; this person; now; this point (in time); here; used to stress the subject of a sentence
wasabi (Wasabia japonica); Japanese horseradish