originally; essentially; naturally; in the first place; to begin with
merit; success; meritorious deed; achievement; accumulated experience
shade; shadow; behind (something); other side; the background; behind the scenes
to belong to; to come under; to be affiliated with; to be subject to
dry riverbed; river beach
loyalty to the Emperor (especially during the late Edo period movement to overthrow the shogunate)
being stuck between a rock and a hard place; being in a dilemma; being torn between conflicting demands
seppuku; harakiri; ritual suicide by disembowelment; seppuku as a death penalty (where the convict is decapitated by a second as they make the motions to disembowel themself; Edo period)
common foot soldier (feudal Japan); samurai of the lowest rank
(social) standing; status; identity; birth; one's circumstances; one's means
low (rank, degree, value, content, quality, etc.); low (position); close to the ground; short (height); deep (voice); in a low key
warrior (esp. of military retainers of daimyos in the Edo period); samurai; person with a strong backbone; person that does incredible things; person of considerable talent
to kill with a sword (knife, dagger, etc.); to slay; to put to the sword
flight; desertion; escape
offender (esp. murderer); criminal
hills and fields; hill and dale
vengeance; revenge; retaliation
Iwaya Sazanami (1870.7.4-1933.9.5)
unique; distinctive; novel; different color (colour)
to eat; to live; to make a living; to bite; to sting (as insects do); to tease; to torment
leather strap binding the plates of traditional Japanese armor (armour)
style (of a work, author, artist, etc.); characteristics
article; item; quality; flirtatiousness; coquetry
(wrestling) ring; forum (e.g. for discussion); sandbag; gabion
to develop a rash or inflammation (e.g. in response to a skin irritant); to react to (something); to be strongly influenced (usu. negative or critical nuance)
excavation; exhumation; digging up; discovery (of a new fact, talent, etc.); finding; unearthing
earthenware; unglazed (bisque-fired) earthenware
dubious tale; cock-and-bull story; questionable information; taking care not to be fooled
10,000; ten thousand; 10^4
tengu; red-faced and long-nosed goblin said to reside deep in the mountains; bragging; conceit; braggart
club; fraternity; sorority; clubhouse
chivalry; gallantry; heroism
the world; society; sphere; circle; world-renowned; world-famous
hero; bold person; daring person; great person; extraordinary person
two reams (of paper); 1000 sheets (of paper); stanza; verse; tribe (in taxonomy); forecast (bet); bet which predicts the top 2 finishers (i.e. quinella or perfecta bet)
hometown; rural township (of China)
Mimasaka (former province located in the northeast of present-day Okayama Prefecture)