this; last (couple of years, etc.); these; you (as in "you liar")
(non-documentary) television series; TV drama; teledrama; drama; dramatic incident; spectacle
indicates sentence topic; indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated); adds emphasis
origin; source; base; basis; cause; ingredient; material
young motorcycle-riding delinquents; bōsōzoku
indicates possessive; nominalizes verbs and adjectives; substitutes for "ga" in subordinate phrases; (at sentence-end, falling tone) indicates a confident conclusion; (at sentence-end) indicates emotional emphasis; (at sentence-end, rising tone) indicates question
poverty-stricken; destitute; poor; penurious
indicates sentence subject (occasionally object); indicates possessive (esp. in literary expressions); but; however; regardless of; whether (or not)
deviation value (usu. scaled to mean of 50, standard deviation of 10, and often used for academic grades); deviation; T-score; standard score
fallen scraps; scatterings; leftovers; remainder; student who cannot keep up in school; dropout (from school, society, a movement, etc.)
senior high school student
pluralizing suffix (esp. for people and animals; formerly honorific)
indicates direct object of action; indicates subject of causative expression; indicates an area traversed; indicates time (period) over which action takes place; indicates point of departure or separation of action; indicates object of desire, like, hate, etc.
academic meritocracy; education-conscious society; society that places (excessive) emphasis on academic records
highest peak; highest mountain; greatest authority; most prominent person; pinnacle (e.g. of art)
at (place, time); in; to (direction, state); toward; for (purpose); because of (reason); for
passing university entrance exams in the last year of high school (instead of failing then taking gap year(s))
to do; to carry out; to cause to become; to make (into); to serve as; to act as; to wear (clothes, a facial expression, etc.)
until (a time); till; to (a place or person); as far as; to (an extent); up to
to draw; to paint; to depict; to describe; to picture in one's mind; to imagine
if; when; and; with; used for quoting (thoughts, speech, etc.); promoted pawn; indicates a question
being deeply moved emotionally; excitement; passion; inspiration; deep emotion; strong impression
record; minutes; record (e.g. in sports); results; to record; to document
(corporate) bankruptcy; insolvency; commercial failure; failed business
you said; he said; if ... then; do you seriously think that; I already told you; you should know by now that; the said ...
somehow; how; in what way; why; what kind of
thing; matter; incident; occurrence; circumstances; situation; work
what; how many; many; a lot of; several; a few
don't you think?; indicates question
as is; as it is; as things are; like this; this way; at this rate
at; in; at; when; by; with; and then
dragon (esp. a Chinese dragon); naga; semi-divine human-cobra chimera in Hindu and Buddhist mythology; promoted rook
mountain; hill; mine (e.g. coal mine); heap; pile; crown (of a hat); thread (of a screw)
senior high school; high school
cherry tree; cherry blossom; fake buyer; paid audience; hired applauder; horse meat
tree; shrub; bush; wood; timber
big; large; drastic; full-width cloth (approx. 72 cm wide for traditional Japanese clothing; approx. 140 cm wide for Western clothing)
conversion; diversion; changeover; commutation; switchover
special; particular; extraordinary; exceptional; especial
entering a higher-level school, esp. going on to university
establishment; institution; installation (of a machine or equipment)
and; and then; thus; and now; and finally
current year (fiscal, academic, etc.)