social ease (facility, skills); being a good mixer
voluntary insurance; optional insurance; extra insurance; vehicle insurance in addition to the basic mandatory insurance
assistant language teacher; ALT; foreign national serving as an assistant teacher of English in a Japanese classroom; alanine aminotransferase; ALT
page in the history books; historical (event); old news
Yasuda Auditorium (at Tokyo University, site of violent student protest in 1969)
chairman of (party) policy bureau; policy chief
early-morning and late-night visits (e.g. by reporters); early-morning and late-night attacks
precious; valuable; priceless; noble; exalted; sacred
seesaw game; back-and-forth match; match in which the lead changes hands several times
running a government administration; managing a cabinet
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
one's home; one's humble abode
failing to practice what one preaches
registered mail; registered post; registration (of mail); (putting on) record; writing down; noting down
general contractor; main contractor; major construction company
origin; beginning; genesis; primeval; primordial; primitive
kickoff party; rally; pep party
noble; lofty; high-minded
Nagata-chō (Japan's political center; equiv. of Downing Street)
to happen to hear; to overhear
ringtone; ring tone; ringback tone; ringing tone
prime minister (as the head of a cabinet government); premier
party-internal; within the party
standard value; reference value; nominal value
beginning of autumn; beginning of fall
detention pending trial; confinement; custody
long-play (record); long-playing; linear programming; line printer; laser printer; Liberal Party
easily bored; quick to lose interest; fickle; capricious
engagement gift; (ceremonial) exchange of engagement gifts
to use all one's strength (ability)
to worry; to fret; to get anxious
one large animal (horses, cattle, etc.); head (of cattle)