to act as a mediator; to serve as a mediator; to act as an intermediary; to be a go-between
sad occasion (esp. a funeral)
calamity; evil; misfortune
Kanpō era (1741.2.27-1744.2.21)
small brazier; hand-warmer
Tokugawa Yoshimune (shogun 1716-1745 and 1751; 1684.11.27-1751.7.12),
mud and tile wall topped with tiles
being particular (about); being fussy; being picky; being choosy; being fastidious
Japanese puppet theatre in which recited narrative and dialog is accompanied by a shamisen (forerunner of bunraku)
educated; learned; schooled
asking would be rude; tasteless question
written work (esp. a bound text, as opposed to a scroll); a text written entirely in kana; graphic novel (esp. one created between the 12th and 19th centuries); notebook (for practicing kana, drawing pictures, etc.); rough draft
how have you been?; (lit.) nothing (untoward) has happened, has it?
brigadier general; commodore
female owner; proprietress; landlady
to employ; to hire (a servant)
personal meeting (esp. used by females)
surface of the water; face of the water
to reveal one's (poor) upbringing (through poor manners, etc.); to betray one's origin; to give oneself away
(another person's) nephew
poor or lowly masterless samurai
person of high rank or income
principal object of worship at a temple (usu. a buddha or bodhisattva); principal image; idol; the man himself; the person at the heart of the matter
young person acting like an old person; officials who helped the council of elders during the Edo period
people close to the head man