edge of town; outskirts of a village
gun; wooden pole that wrestlers strike in practice; puffer fish
rare; strange; odd; peculiar
black terracotta; black soil
habitat; home (e.g. of the tiger)
state boundary; provincial boundary
smirkingly; broadly (grinning)
competition; rivalry; something worth doing
double; twice (as much); twofold
wild beast; wild animal; brute
official recognition; authorization; authorisation; licence; license; accreditation
to make (the best) use of; to put to good use; to let live; to keep alive; to revive; to resuscitate
support; backing; aid; assistance
everywhere; all over; throughout
extra; more; unnecessary; needless; all the more; even more
chat; desultory conversation
middle; midway; middle position; moderate position; interim; intermediary
to demarcate; to delimit; to divide (an area); to punctuate; to put an end to (e.g. a sentence); to insert pauses or breaks (e.g. when reading aloud)
fully loaded; full load; loaded condition
to pass (by) each other; to brush past; to miss (meeting) each other; to fail to meet; to be at odds; to clash
comfortable; easy; calm; loose; spacious
to fail; to mess up; to bungle; to screw the pooch
tool; means; ingredients (added to soup, rice, etc.); counter for sets of armor, utensils, furniture, etc.
(Japanese) larch (Larix leptolepis, Larix kaempferi)
slope; slanting surface; bevel
small; fine; detailed; stingy
to creak; to squeak; to grate; to grind; to rasp
on the road; on the street; in the street; on the way
local governor (Edo period); local magistrate; bailiff; deputy official (middle ages); acting administrator