Wood Rat (1st year of the sexagenary cycle, e.g. 1924, 1984, 2044)
Minister of Health and Welfare
to write ruby characters (small furigana above or beside kanji)
intercommunication system
waste-disposal facility; landfill; garbage dump
floor heating; underfloor heating
attending a government office; going to work (for a government official)
sweating easily; profuse sweater
city councillor; city councilor; city assemblyman
arraying a number of reference books in order to compose poetry; literary composition crammed with maxims, ancient episodes, legends, etc.; otters lining a catch of fish on a river bank; (people) making offerings (esp. of fish)
leisure facility (e.g. amusement park)
Japanese syllabary; kana; aiueo
flower basket (or plate) used for flower-scattering rituals
Hello Work; nickname for the Public Employment Security Office
payment; provision; benefit; performance
remote countryside; boondocks; the sticks
outsider's perspective; as seen by an observer
pond skater (any insect of family Gerridae); water strider
money-making; earning money
support group; fan club; (election) committee
House of Councillors (upper house of the National Diet of Japan)
large enterprise; big business; large undertaking
major contender; strong (leading) candidate; front runner
to blame; to find fault with
revision (of text); alteration; change
toot (e.g. of trumpet); honk (e.g. of klaxon); beep; farting sound; sound of something being inflated; puff