taste; elegance; appearance; air; the likes of ...; lowly people such as ...
castle town; city in Japan that developed around the castle of a feudal lord
to overlook; to command a view of; to look down on; to despise; to look down on
dango; dumpling (usu. sweet); ball-shaped object; something round; lump; group
rock; boulder; crag; cliff; anchor
oneself; oneself; for oneself; personally
(one) letter; (one) character
to name; to call; to christen; to term
to be called ...; to be referred to as ...
close; intimate; on good terms
light; well-lit; bright (of a colour); brightly-coloured; cheerful; bright; encouraging (for the future of a project, etc.)
origin; source; base; basis; cause; ingredient; material
river; stream; River; the ... river
near; neighbourhood; nearly (e.g. "it took nearly one year"); close to; shortly; soon
to move (house); to change residence
education; schooling; training; culture; cultivation; education
zealous; enthusiastic; ardent; fervent; keen; eager
what kind of; what sort of; what; no matter what (kind of); whatever; any
busy; occupied; hectic; restless; hurried; fidgety
studies; schoolwork; classwork
time; hour; period; class
study; diligence; discount; reduction
samurai; warrior; military family
readiness; preparedness; resolution; resignation
waka; classic Japanese poem, esp. a tanka, often 31 morae
life; lifetime; career; for life; all one's life; throughout one's life
to cherish; to treasure; to prize; to take good care of; to look after
hard; solid; stiff; tight; strong; firm (not viscous or easily moved); safe
bonds (between people); (emotional) ties; relationship; tether; fetters
to tie; to bind; to bear (fruit); to close (e.g. deal); to confirm; to connect (two distant places); to close tightly
all together now!; one, two, go!; ready, set, go!; heave, ho!; oops-a-daisy
to empty; to remove; to move out; to clear out; to be away from (e.g. one's house); to leave (temporarily); to dawn
continuation; succession; series
finally; at last; in the end; after all; never (happened)
one's heart's desire; one's dearest wish
Hokkaido (island, prefectural-level administrative unit)
to set foot into; to enter; to step inside; to cross the threshold
increasingly; more and more; decreasingly (when declining); less and less