kombu (usu. Saccharina japonica); konbu; kelp; any edible species from the family Laminariaceae
small token of one's sentiments; just slightly; only a bit
salmon (Salmonidae spp.); chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta)
difficult to eat; unpalatable
dwelling; house; residence; den; habitat
to be seized with fear; to be intimidated; to lose one's nerve; to be frightened; to get cold feet; to chicken out
accusation; complaint; charge; legal action
to shorten; to cut short; to trim; to cut down on; to reduce; to scrimp on
about to start out; just about to leave or go out; outing; trip
soft; tender; gentle; mild; informal; light
(in spite of) being old enough to know better
may I come in?; please forgive me; I'm sorry
answering machine; answer phone
going public (with a matter); becoming public knowledge; recourse to litigation; taking (a matter) to court
demotion; relegation; reduction in rank; degradation; downward move
Nagano (city, prefecture)
job transfer; job relocation; intra-company transfer
cleaning; dry cleaning; laundry service
one-night stand; taking home a woman from a bar, club, etc.; takeout (i.e. food); take-out; takeaway
yakitori; chicken pieces (or sometimes beef or pork offal) grilled on a skewer; grilled and skewered bird (esp. sparrow); failing to win a single hand during a half-game
(not) ever; (not) at all; (not) on any account; deepest bottom of the earth
omission; failure; incompleteness; irregularity; mismanagement; misconduct
investment; contribution; financing
what's what; heads or tails
to forgive and forget; to let bygones be bygones; to sweep under the carpet; to wipe the slate clean
in the same manner as before; the same as always
distinction (e.g. between right and wrong, public and private, etc.)
double; double bed; hotel room with a double bed; double-breasted; double-cuffed; double width (of cloth; usu. 1.42 meters); doubles (e.g. in tennis)
to set one's hand to; to start work on; to embezzle; to use (money obtained in illegal fashion); to have sexual relations; to have an affair
at any cost; at any price; at any expense
to put to use; to make use of; to turn to account
part-time employer; place where one works part-time
as a child; when one was a child
to curry favour (with); to play up (to); to cozy up (to); to butter up
bureaucrat; government official; bureaucracy
early on; earlier on; from early
taking; taker; last performer of the day (usu. the star performer); last performance of the day; active partner (e.g. in judo demonstration); emphatic or formal prefix