country in civil war; country disarrayed by war; Warring States period (Japan, China); competiton in which there are several evenly-matched participants; hotly-contested game (match, market, etc.)
Iga (former province located in the west of present-day Mie Prefecture)
sickle; leading question; trick question; sickle-and-chain (weapon); spear with curved cross-blades; gooseneck tenon and mortise joint; (arch.) noisiness
to take the form of (esp. in ref. to a spirit, fox, raccoon dog, etc.); to assume the shape of; to disguise oneself as; to change radically; to metamorphose; to improve unexpectedly and dramatically (esp. of an actor, artist, rikishi, etc.)
domain administration (Edo period); clan administration
unity; consolidation; uniformity; unification; compatible
as (X, then Y); with; in accordance with; in proportion to
breaking up (e.g. meeting); dispersing (e.g. crowd); dissolving (company, organization, etc.); liquidating; dissolving (diet, parliament, etc.)
to plan; to intend; to aspire to; to set aims (sights on)
earnest; singlehanded; face to face; straight ahead; just in front of
uncivilized; uncivilised; undeveloped (land); unexplored (territory, field, etc.); unbloomed (flower)
poison; toxicant; harm; evil influence; ill will; spite
to hold back (e.g. emotions); to rein in (e.g. a horse, unruly people); to get the better of; to control; to command
treasure; treasured item; prized possession
monetary offering; donation
cash; ready money; money on hand; mercenary; self-interested; calculating
ideal; perfect; most suitable; just right
atmospheric current; air current; airflow
sickle and chain (weapon)
to rot; to go bad; to corrode; to weather; to become useless; to blunt; to become depraved
peerless; unequalled; unequaled
antecedents; ancestor; previous position; previous existence; predecessor organization; predecessor organisation
ceremony; celebration; law code
Chinese juniper (Juniperus chinensis)
district; region; the country; countryside; civilian society
reeking of blood; stinking of blood; bloody (battle, crime, etc.)
jumping about; rampancy; domination
foot of a mountain; plain at the foot of a mountain; range; spread; extent
to vomit; to throw up; to emit; to send forth; to give (an opinion); to make (a comment)
ruin; fall; collapse; downfall; bankruptcy
transition; change; progress; passing (of time)
stinginess; miserliness; shabby; cheap; petty; narrow-minded
route; road; distance travelled in a day; one's ... (age, e.g. 40s, 60s)
mountain villa; house in the mountains; mountain retreat