Echigo (former province located in present-day Niigata Prefecture)
floor; stage (for the narrator and the shamisen player); dining platform built across a river
clue; lead; key; handhold; hold
lifesaver; person who saved one's life
(received) favor, kindness or blessing (favour)
to reward; to recompense; to repay; to retaliate; to get revenge
when it comes to the cause; when you get right down to it; as for what started it; as for the reason; originally
used to indicate respect for the listener (or reader)
to dream (i.e. while asleep); to have a dream; to dream (of the future); to have a fleeting experience
so; therefore; accordingly; consequently; on those grounds; that is why
preserved food boiled in soy
honest; frank; candid; honestly; frankly
poor (at); weak (in); not very good (at); not one's cup of tea; not one's favorite
by all means; no matter what; at any rate
complexion; one's colour; one's color; countenance; expression; one's face
to peep (through); to peek; to await (one's chance); to guess; to infer
that gentleman; that lady; he; she
dark; gloomy; depressed; dispirited; dark (in colour); dull; ill-boding
cave; cavern; den; grotto
to approach; to draw near; to gather (in one place); to come together; to stop by (while on one's way to another place); to drop by; to grow old
being quick-eared; having sharp ears; being first to know about something
have to (verb); must (verb); is indispensable; absolutely necessary
to be effective; to take effect; to work; to function well; to be possible (to do, use, etc.); to be able to
to deal with (a person); to treat; to deal with (a problem); to handle; to operate (e.g. a machine); to handle; to deal in
creator (of a work); author; writer; artist; composer; playwright
to be scrupulous; to be attentive; to be prudent; to be complete; to be thorough
how; in what way; how (much); to what extent; however (much); no matter how
this world; this life; world of the living
unreasonable; irrational; outrageous; absurd
world; society; life; lifetime; age; era; reign
to accomplish; to fulfill; to carry out
to subsist; to keep on living
modesty; humility; being humble
other self; alter ego; part of oneself (in someone or something else); incarnations of Buddha
play; sport; fun; caprice; joke; jest
(arch.) southern barbarians (formerly used by the Chinese to refer to non-ethnic Chinese to the south); (arch.) South-East Asia; (arch.) Western Europe (esp. Spain and Portugal, their South-East Asian colonies, and their goods and people arriving in Japan via the colonies); exotic (esp. Western European or South-East Asian style); (in dance, puppetry, etc.) thrusting the right foot and right arm forward at the same time (or left foot and left arm); nanban; dish prepared using chili peppers and Welsh onions
sobriety; soberness; sober face
disgrace; discredit; dishonor; dishonour; blot; shame
to afflict; to torment; to harass; to molest
to offer a (monetary) prize
unpleasant; disagreeable; displeasing; uncomfortable; unhappy
dispersing; breaking up; running away