The Tale of Genji (manga)
remote mountain; mountain recesses
Onigashima; island of ogres (in Japanese folklore)
mythical ball inside the anus that is sought after by kappa
fly in the ointment; small flaw in otherwise perfect object; only trouble; only fault
puckered-up mouth; button of a mouth
fierce (fight, competition, etc.); severe; hot; hard; bitter; keen
starting afresh; going back to square one; abandoning (e.g. a plan); clearing an abacus
idiot; dummy; joker; fool; trickster
rock! paper! scissors!; paper! scissors! rock!; one! two! three!; rock-paper-scissors (game); janken
to exchange (things); to convert (currency); to be in contrast (to); to contrast (with)
shiruko; sweet red-bean soup with mochi
(vengeful) ghost; specter; spectre
greed; cruelty; callous; (arch.) insistent; (arch.) insistence
perversity; perverse person; antagonistic demon in Japanese folklore; demon under the feet of temple guardian statues
soup containing rice cakes and vegetables (New Year's dish)
enjoying oneself on a river (e.g. boating, swimming, fishing)
mythical two-tailed monster cat
frail; having a weak constitution; being in poor health
green foxtail (Setaria viridis); green bristlegrass; cat teaser (cat toy); kitty teaser
Tenpō era (1830.12.10-1844.12.2)
practice writing with a brush; study; learning
nasty; disgusting; detestable; unpleasant; disagreeable; creepy
Palace of the Dragon King; palace from the story of Urashima Taro (said to be located at the bottom of the sea)
abacus; soroban; calculation (esp. of profit and loss); reckoning
monster cat; cat with magical powers
nothing; naught; nought; un-; non-
to pilfer; to filch; to swipe
entirely useless; completely worthless; no no; don't!
lead (in a cheer, toast, song, etc.); (someone's) lead; folk song and dance performed by a group; leader of a group of wind instruments (in gagaku)
young; youthful; immature; green; low (number); small
paper patch; paper backing; poster; sticker; label
to interfere; to butt in; to interrupt someone
to be infatuated (with); to be hooked (on); to lose one's heart (on)
kappa; mythical water-dwelling creature; excellent swimmer; cucumber; cucumber sushi wrapped in nori (seaweed)