retreat; withdrawal; retirement
prosperity and decay; prosperity and decline; rise and fall; ups and downs; ebb and flow; waxing and waning
excess; surplus; superabundance; overabundance
growing wild (naturally); native
careful; cautious; prudent; discreet; deliberate
tacit; unspoken; implicit
creator (of a work); author; writer; artist; composer; playwright
to descend; to go down; to be handed down (of an order, judgment, etc.); to pass (of time); to surrender; to capitulate; to be less than
unskillful; poor; awkward; imprudent; untactful
mudslinging contest; mudslinging match
plural; multiple; several
drama; play; powerful drug
ignoring; disregarding; taking no notice of; refusing to comment on; turning a deaf ear to
both sides; two sides; double-sided
distinction; discrimination; distinguishing; discernment
equality; uniformity; evenness
rising; ascending; climbing
critical argument laden with value judgment, where an indirect cause, often trivial, is made to appear as leading to the effect
common saying; everyday talk; common parlance
stroke of the brush; touch; literary style
sewamono (Edo-period drama about contemporary life)
to supplement; to make up for; to compensate for; to cover (a shortage, loss, etc.); to fill (e.g. a vacancy)
expressing one's mind; speaking out
slander; bad-mouthing; abuse; insult; speaking ill (of)
mark; sign; (arch.) plain wood showing the seating order of officials at court; (arch.) nameplate
shaku (unit of distance approximately equal to 30.3 cm); rule; measure; length
repeatedly; frequently; over and over; exceedingly; sincerely; very much
main point; main object; chief purpose; core; gist; essence
work of art; artwork; objet d'art
depiction; description; portrayal
plan; plot; idea; conception; vision; scheme
news coverage; collecting data (e.g. for an article); covering (something for media); interview
originality; distinctiveness; uniqueness; individuality
lumping together; summing up; bundle; lump; batch