acquaintance; friend; (arch.) lover
to be hesitant; to feel timid
seafood hot pot; seafood stew
woman textile worker; Vega (star in the constellation Lyra); Alpha Lyrae
Tentoku era (957.10.27-961.2.16)
double-lined fusilier (Pterocaesio digramma); Taiwan (nickname); Takasago (classic noh play by Zeami)
regrettable defeat; defeat by a narrow margin
to gain traction; to develop momentum; to get a boost; to pick up steam
European magpie (Pica pica)
email friend; email penpal
worldly affairs; public affairs
difficult to say which of the two is better; hard to tell which is better; (there is) little to choose between them
blocking communications (from a phone number or an e-mail address)
imperial palace; festival dolls representing the emperor and the empress
protection; safeguard; guardianship; preservation; conservation
whitecaps; white-crested waves; thief
karuta; traditional Japanese playing cards
to barricade oneself in; to hold (a fort, etc.); to shut oneself up; to be besieged; to dig in
deciding match; play-off; runoff
eastern Japan (usu. east of the Chūbu region)
recovery; rescue; recapture
pretension; conceit; hubris
to run away (e.g. from work); to escape; to hide; to end a round with less than 20 points
Milky Way; luminous band corresponding to the plane of the galaxy
completely exhausted; dog-tired; dreadfully weary; terribly frustrated; limp; weak
high-status Shinto shrine with connection to imperial family; imperial Shinto shrine