offshoring; overseas transfer (esp. of production)
extent of decrease; degree of reduction
guiding precepts of a company; company credo; corporate philosophy
attitude survey; opinion poll
regarding as very likely (to win, succeed, etc.)
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry; METI
Kasumigaseki; district of Tokyo where most of Japan's government ministry offices are located; government ministries (of Japan); Japanese government bureaucracy
de facto marriage; common-law marriage
undeveloped country; third world country
sinking; submerging; sinker; weight
luck in lotteries; luck in raffles
America and China; Sino-American
Japan Coast Guard (formerly Maritime Safety Agency)
information discovery; disclosure of information
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
archipelago; chain of islands
unmarried person; bachelor; spinster
money order; draft; exchange (e.g. foreign)
coastal region; coastal area; coastline
Kanto region (incl. Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki and Chiba prefectures)
one person; one customer; unmarried and childless older woman
dorayaki; dessert sandwich of two small sweet pancakes and red bean paste
to wipe the slate clean; to start anew
wastepaper; scrap of paper; paper scraps
legal; from a legal standpoint; legally speaking; de jure
to build up; to complete; to construct; to make up; to fabricate; to invent
sushi shop; sushi restaurant; sushi bar
Honshū (largest of the four main islands of Japan); Honshu
to do together; to share; to participate in
attraction; lure; invitation
to stay overnight; to stop (e.g. at a hotel)