castle town; city in Japan that developed around the castle of a feudal lord
primary school; elementary school; grade school
gate; branch of learning based on the teachings of a single master; school; phylum; division; counter for cannons
on the water; aquatic; waterside; water's edge
bubble; foam; froth; suds; lather; head (on beer)
helpless; forlorn; hopeless; unpromising; lonely; discouraging
Les Miserables (novel, musical, etc.)
sentencing; pronouncement of a verdict; passing of sentence; declaration (of a diagnosis, bankruptcy, decision, etc.); announcement; pronouncement
criminal condemned to death; convict on death row
indefinite; unlimited; life imprisonment
stay of execution; suspended sentence
key; lock; key (to a problem, success, etc.); clue
first; firstly; first of all; Introduction; Preface
dark; gloomy; depressed; dispirited; dark (in colour); dull; ill-boding
dark; gloomy; depressed; dispirited; dark (in colour); dull; ill-boding
now (when it is already much too late); at this stage; afresh; anew; again
to remember; to recall; to call to mind; to imagine; to picture in one's mind; to visualize
fleeting; transient; short-lived; empty (dream, etc.); mere (hope); faint (possibility)
no matter what it is; in every case
to kill; to slay; to suppress; to block; to suppress (a voice, feelings, etc.); to hold back
each day; from day to day; day-to-day
I wish I had ...; I should have ...; it would have been better if I had ...
daily; everyday; days (e.g. of one's youth); every day; day after day
parting (of people); separation; farewell; breakup
economical; efficient; lean; compact
taikō (esp. Toyotomi Hideyoshi); title for a regent, later for the grand chancellor, also for the father of an Imperial adviser (advisor) who passed the role to his son
Your Highness; His Highness; Her Highness
(social) standing; status; identity; birth; one's circumstances; one's means
secret (method, trick, etc.); key (e.g. to success); mysteries (of an art, trade, etc.); recipe; trick
success; achievement; succeeding (in life); (worldly) success; prosperity
(not) particularly; (not) especially; (not) specially; separately; apart; additionally
part; portion; amount; worth (as in "two days' worth"); one's means; one's place; one's duty
to be contented; to be at ease
to worry about; to be anxious about; to be concerned about; to lament; to grieve; to mourn
that day; the very same day
smirkingly; broadly (grinning)
zori; traditional Japanese thonged sandals
common foot soldier (feudal Japan); samurai of the lowest rank
samurai general (esp. during the Sengoku period)
to that extent; accordingly; that being the case; that state; that condition
Five Dynasties (of China; 907-979)