New Year's sake; spiced sake
telecommunications carrier; PTT
industrialization; industrialisation; commercialization
private regulations; bylaws; internal rules; tradition
shortage of capital; lack of funds; cash flow problem
the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995 (the epicenter was located on Awaji island)
stereotype; preconceived idea; preconceived notion
communication technology; communications technology
just friends; no romantic interest; (lit.) no pulse
letterpress printing; moveable type printing
to that extent; to that degree; that much; that many
(at) the beginning of the New Year; early in the New Year
company name; corporate name
to supplant; to supersede; to replace; to take the place of
favorite child; favourite child; darling; favorite; star
to give one's first cry (of a newborn baby); to be born; to come into being; to be formed
to run out of; to dry up; to be depleted; to hit the bottom; to bottom out
observance (of laws, rules, etc.); adherence; obeying; following; abiding by; compliance
make no progress; remain unsettled
on the least pretext; at the drop of a hat
first cry of a newborn baby
pioneer; trailblazer; leader; groundbreaker; pathfinder; forerunner
direct sunlight; direct rays of the sun
fundraising; financing; cash flow
starting up (e.g. business, computer)
well-known only to those in the know; be well-known but to the few; highly regarded by a select few
prime location (for offices, housing, etc.); best district (in town); excellent piece of land
Osaka-Kobe; Hanshin (company name: railway, dept. store, baseball team, etc.)
two kinds; second-class (e.g. mail)
infringement (of a law, treaty, etc.); contravention; conflict (with a theory, claim, etc.); inconsistency; (arch.) collision; (arch.) contact
managing director; executive director; routine business; regular business
at any rate; in any case; at the very least; if nothing else
unprecedented; unheard-of; record-breaking