hard-to-get-into school; elite school; highly-selective school
career enhancement; improving one's career prospects
having a strong alkaline taste; harsh to the taste; excessively strong-willed; fiercely individualistic; strongly idiosyncratic
shelving (a play, movie, etc.); closing down; cancelling; rice storehouse of the Edo shogunate
summer greeting card; inquiry after someone's health in the hot season
designer drug; synthetic drug; quasi-legal drug; (lit.) dangerous drug
water filter; water purification system
system of automatic advancement to high school and university without an entrance exam
one-coin (i.e. able to be paid for with only one coin, esp. a 500-yen coin, sometimes a 100-yen coin); costing 500 yen; costing 100 yen
mother-in-law; foster mother; stepmother
rising rapidly (e.g. prices, popularity); soaring; skyrocketing; going through the roof
to get involved or entangled in; to get mixed up in; to have something to do with; to have dealings with
not knowing what to do with the time one has on one's hand
job hunting; job searching
elementary, junior high and high school
to be nauseating; to be disgusting; to be revolting; to throw up; to vomit
payment; provision; benefit; performance
pompom; pompon; pom-pom; pom-pon
to be jealous of; to envy; to begrudge
sobriety; soberness; sober face
lye; harsh taste; bitter taste; scum (on a soup, broth etc.); (excessive) self-assertiveness; strong individuality
to pile up and up; to pile up more and more; to mount (e.g. debts, concerns)
reconciliation (with one's spouse, adopted child, etc.)
personal (affairs, reasons, etc.)
the very start; the very beginning
different (from); not the same (as)
to place on (something); to give (someone) a ride; to give a lift; to pick up
rustic; unsophisticated; provincial; hick; uncool; unstylish
piping hot; scalding; madly in love; passionately in love
resignation; leaving office; leaving work (e.g. at the end of the day)
tattoo (esp. not traditional Japanese)
cancellation of a contract
to a great extent; impressive; staggering; horrible; complete; whole
to be worn down; to be reduced
neglecting; leaving alone
portable shrine (carried in festivals); palanquin; buttocks; lower back
postcard; memo; note; card