patent application; patent filings
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry; METI
manufacturing; craftsmanship; making things by hand
calculation; estimation; computation
this or that person; anybody; many people
vast; huge; immense; malva nut (Sterculia lychnophora)
temporary employee (esp. from an agency); temporary worker; agency temp
800,000; eight hundred thousand
money-making; earning money
laminating; lamination layer
to flatter; to curry favour (with); to play up (to); to suck up (to); to toady (to)
avoiding or dodging responsibility
money order; draft; exchange (e.g. foreign)
to conceal (oneself); to hide; to abscond; to deceive; to dissemble; to fool
scattered; separated; dispersed
house search (e.g. by the police)
self-justification; excuse
personal (affairs, reasons, etc.)
to narrowly escape (e.g. death); to hang onto (life); (arch.) to ascertain; (arch.) to make definite
unable to read the situation; unable to pick up on the mood of a conversation
restitution; damages; indemnity; compensation
weak; feeble; delicate; frail; helpless
deposit; payment; money received; money due
the Sheep (eighth sign of the Chinese zodiac); the Ram; hour of the Sheep (around 2pm, 1-3pm, or 2-4pm); south-southwest; sixth month of the lunar calendar
material witness; suspect
right to know; right to access information
rescue worker; emergency rescue team member; ambulance attendant; paramedic
to take the time (to do); to set aside time (for)
life and death; life or death
leak (of secrets, information, etc.); disclosure; divulging; leak (of gas, liquid, etc.); leakage; escape (of gas)
cell; serge; cel (celluloid)
regular customer; valued client