Satsuma (former province located in the west of present-day Kagoshima Prefecture); sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas)
han (estate of a daimyo in the Edo and early Meiji periods); feudal domain; fief; province
chief retainer; daimyo's minister
indicates possessive; nominalizes verbs and adjectives; substitutes for "ga" in subordinate phrases; indicates a confident conclusion; indicates emotional emphasis; indicates question
residence; estate; grounds; premises; mansion
at; in; at; when; by; with
if; when; and; as well as; with; together with; used for quoting (thoughts, speech, etc.)
Chōshū; (former) Nagato Province
talks (i.e. formal discussions); conference; meeting
indicates the subject of a sentence; indicates possession; but; however; and; used after an introductory remark or explanation; regardless of ...
to perform; to do; to conduct oneself; to carry out
at; in; to; toward; to; for; because of
to be; to come; to go; to be (doing)
that; the; part (as in "part two"); um ...; er ...
contents; interior; substance; content; (sword) blade
indicates sentence topic; indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated); adds emphasis
both (hands, parents, sides, etc.); counter for carriages (e.g. in a train); counter for vehicles; ryō; tael; ryō; pre-Meiji unit of currency, orig. the value of one ryō of gold
to join hands; to join forces; to work in cooperation; to link up; to partner with
because; as; since; because of that; therefore; accordingly
nonexistent; not being (there); not having; not
indicates a question; indicates an embedded question; indicates an indirect question; or; whether or not; some- (e.g. something, someone); hmm
splendid horse; promoted bishop
oath; pledge; pact; covenant; alliance
to become; to get; to result in; to turn out; to consist of; to be composed of; to be completed
called; named; as many as; as much as; all ...; every single ...
thing; matter; incident; occurrence; circumstances; situation; work
at; in; at; when; by; with; so
eh?; what?; yes; that's correct; used for soft emphasis or to soften a statement or request; (arch.) strengthens a question, assertion, etc.
good; excellent; sufficient; enough; profitable (deal, business offer, etc.); beneficial
right?; isn't it?; hey; say; you know; you see; will you?
secret; clandestine; covert; spy (for a daimyo, shogun, etc.); secret agent
news; word; tidings; omen; foreboding; premonition
there (place relatively near listener); there (place just mentioned); that place; then (of some incident just spoken of); that (of point just raised); (arch.) you
Tosa (former province located in present-day Kochi Prefecture)
becoming a lordless samurai
being present (at the same meeting, occasion, etc.); attendance (with); sitting with; same (seating) precedence; same rank
Satsuma and Chōshū (clan alliance)
evil deed; wrongdoing; crime; misfortune; calamity
indicates direct object of action; indicates subject of causative expression; indicates an area traversed; indicates time (period) over which action takes place; indicates point of departure or separation of action; indicates object of desire, like, hate, etc.
to scheme; to plan; to play a trick; to invent; to conspire; to frame up
that; it; then; that point (in time); (arch.) there; (arch.) you