soaking (dirty laundry, dishes etc., before washing)
taking up a new line of work; the beginning of things; starting the preparations for New Year's festivities (December 8 in Tokyo, December 13 in Kyoto); resuming work after the New Year's vacation
domestic wastewater; household effluent
LOHAS; Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability; market segment made up of ecologically conscious consumers
zaru soba (soba served on a bamboo draining basket with dipping sauce)
blueback (any fish with a bluish back, such as the Japanese sardine)
investment trust; mutual fund
running alongside; pacesetting; accompanying
friendly relations; social relations; social life
these days; nowadays; recently
to reject (a manuscript); to turn down (a proposal)
foreign; abroad; overseas
My goodness!; Good lord!; Holy cow!
speckled with white; salt-and-pepper (pattern, fabric, etc.); marbling (of beef); (of fish, chicken, shellfish, etc.) blanching by exposure to boiling and then icy water; formation of frost
second edition; additional printing
finishing reading; non-serialised story (e.g. in a magazine); complete story; breaks and pauses (in a sentence)
breathing techniques; breath control
small face (of a woman; generally considered attractive)
Wagyu beef; Japanese beef
conveyor belt sushi; sushi-go-round; sushi train; kaiten-zushi
finishing (a race); running the whole distance; reaching the goal; staying the course
unpolished rice; unmilled rice; brown rice
beginning (of a book, magazine, etc.); opening page; beginning (of a matter); start
celebrity; personality; prominent figure