inner palace (in Edo Castle); palace's ladies chambers; shogun's harem
trust; confidence; credence
thick; deep; kind; cordial; abundant
centre; center; middle; capital; seat of government
obligation; favour; favor; debt of gratitude
(received) favor, kindness or blessing (favour)
to respond; to answer; to meet (e.g. demands, expectations); to affect; to take a toll; to strike home
ground leveling; ground levelling; groundwork; laying foundations
superior airs; air of importance; overemphasis
to become decrepit; to become senile
to measure; to weigh; to survey; to conjecture; to infer; to surmise
the return of the land and people from the feudal lords to the Emperor
difficult problem; challenge
Hizen (former province located in present-day Saga and Nagasaki prefectures, excluding Tsushima and Oki Islands)
to entrust (a matter) to; to leave to; to abandon oneself to (e.g. pleasure); to yield to (e.g. anger); to devote oneself to
governor of a feudal domain (1869-1871)
suddenly; abruptly; unexpectedly
popular name; common name; given name
shaking; trembling; pitching; disturbance; unrest; agitation
hereditary; patrimonial; handed down from generation to generation
distrust; mistrust; insincerity; impiety; faithlessness
to keep in pace with; to keep up with; to follow (someone's thought); to understand
one's own child; one's own children
to care for someone; to look after someone
still more; even more; all the more; still less; even less
young lord; successor of one's current lord
to draw near; to draw closer; to press (e.g. for an answer); to hound
siege; encirclement; envelopment; surrounding; besiegement
house-sitting; house-sitter; caretaker or keeper (official post in the Edo period)
red-light district; prostitution quarter; geisha quarter
three (long cylindrical things); three-of-a-kind (in a dealt hand)
master; expert; expert board game player (chess, go, shogi, etc.)
devoted; self-sacrificing
present day; modern times; recent times; early modern period (in Japan, usu. from the Meiji Restoration until the end of World War II)
pushing forward (undaunted, bravely); working vigorously towards an aim; struggling on; striving towards
high steward; grand master
commander; general; leader