soba; Japanese buckwheat noodles
to be ready-made; to become intimate with
displaying money (to prove that one actually has it)
bits of fried batter left after cooking tempura
paying cash-in-hand; paying under the table
imitation crab meat; crab sticks
malicious (at heart); spiteful; wicked
mountain recess; deep in the mountains
having one's choice; (ability to) pick and choose
to come to nothing; to be wasted; to fall through; to end without result
soba noodles eaten at night on New Year's Eve
tax included (e.g. price); before tax (e.g. salary)
to stab; to thrust (into); to plant (in the ground); to stick upright
proprietress-to-be of a Japanese inn or restaurant
down payment; contract money
a step; short distance; short time
prison sentence (without a stay of execution)
police; polis (ancient Greek city state); -city
temple bell rung 108 times on New Year's Eve
sharing; division; draw; tie
short trip; brief journey; excursion
to be at one's wits' end; to be cornered; (lit.) to be packed to the hilt
overly serious; serious to a fault; humorless
savings box; moneybox; piggy bank
marriage fraud; fake marriage
frying; fried food; aburaage; thin deep-fried slices of tofu
Japanese (people, language, style)
ready-made; common-law (wife)
bag; sack; skin of an orange (and other like fruits); dead end; plot of land surrounded by water