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)
regrettable defeat; defeat by a narrow margin
to gain traction; to develop momentum; to get a boost; to pick up steam
email friend; email penpal
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
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
high-status Shinto shrine with connection to imperial family; imperial Shinto shrine
Japanese clothing; being dressed in a kimono; Japanese-style bookbinding
email with attached photos sent from a mobile phone; photo taken with a mobile phone; taking a photo with a mobile phone
vice-minister (Meiji period); undersecretary
meeting hall; assembly hall
winning a prize or place (in a contest)
class-A; A class; A grade
and; thereupon; because of that
prompt decision; quick decision; immediate judgement; summary judgment; summary judgement
old body; aged person; elderly person
Ōmi (former province located in present-day Shiga Prefecture)
being defeated; being eliminated (from competition)
soaked; drenched; sopping; incessantly (raining); drizzling
to fight to the bitter end
to compose (a Japanese poem); to write; to use as the theme of a poem; to recite (e.g. a poem); to chant; to intone
another school; other schools
fighting with real swords; game played in real earnest
green; greenery (esp. fresh verdure)