declining birth rates; decrease in the number of children
influence; effect; to influence; to affect; to have an influence on
environment; circumstance
increasingly; more and more; decreasingly (when declining); less and less
to get worse; to deteriorate; to go from bad to worse; to spoil (of food); to go bad; to perish
inside; interior; among; within; middle; center; during
how; in what way; by what means
to go; to move (in a direction or towards a specific location); to proceed; to take place; to pass through; to come and go; to walk
or; either ... or; maybe; perhaps; some ... and others ...; sometimes ... and at other times ...
to fold one's arms; to stand and watch (without interfering); to stand idly by; to lie in wait; to be ready and waiting
to go to ruin; to go under; to fall; to be destroyed; to die out; to become extinct
to finish; to stop; to close (a business, etc.); to close down; to put away; to put back
as (i.e. in the role of); for (i.e. from the viewpoint of); apart from... (used to change the topic); even (e.g. "not even a single person"); thinking that...; trying to...
interest (in something); curiosity (about something); zest (for)
how; in what way; how about
honorific/polite/humble prefix; honorific suffix
certainly; without fail; right and wrong; pros and cons
to hear; to listen (e.g. to music); to ask; to enquire; to hear about; to hear of; to follow (advice, order, etc.)
person; someone; human beings; mankind; human (Homo sapiens); (other) people; others
appearing ...; looking ...; way to ...; method of ...ing; form; style
slow; time-consuming; late (in the day); towards the end (of the day or night); later (than expected or usual); late
conclusion from reasoning, judgement or calculation based on something read or heard; reason; cause; meaning; circumstances; situation
to decrease (in size or number); to diminish; to abate
to avoid (physical contact with); to avoid (situation); to ward off; to avert; to put aside; to move out of the way
nonexistent; not being (there); unowned; not had; unique; not; impossible
so; therefore; accordingly; consequently; on those grounds; that is why
reorganization (e.g. of a company); reorganisation; consolidation; scrap-and-build
interior; inside; internal
big; large; drastic; full-width cloth (approx. 72 cm wide for traditional Japanese clothing; approx. 140 cm wide for Western clothing)
(corporate) restructuring; downsizing; laying off people
to grow; to spring up; to sprout; to cut (teeth)
like; similar to; (I) think (that); (I) have a feeling (that); feels like; feels similar to
without intermission for ten (long) years; with constancy of purpose for ten (long) years; in the same old rut for years on end
to perform; to do; to conduct oneself; to carry out
teacher; instructor; teaching staff; faculty member
whereabouts; place; location; place where one belongs; where one fits in; place where one can be oneself
to lose (something); to mislay; to get rid of; to eliminate; to remove