soba eaten at the end of the month (esp. at the end of the year)
flash of lightning; urgent telegram; express telegraph
telephone; telephone number; telephone call; phone call
soba noodles eaten at night on New Year's Eve
rock! paper! scissors!; paper! scissors! rock!; one! two! three!; rock-paper-scissors (game); janken
to act as an opposite; to form a counterpart; to act as a twin
astonished; stunned; startled out of one's wits; thunderstruck; open-eyed astonishment
movie version (based on TV series, anime, etc.); the movie
dealt hand consisting of one 20-point card and six 1-point cards; outstanding; standing out above the rest
Black Tortoise (god said to rule over the northern heavens); seven mansions (Chinese constellations) of the northern heavens
out of the blue; all of a sudden; without warning; unexpectedly
column (e.g. in newspaper); stand-alone feature article framed by a box
to rule; to govern; to administer
wickedness; evil; wicked person
Izu (former province located on the Izu Peninsula in present-day Shizuoka Prefecture, and the Izu Islands)
advantageous; favourable; better; profitable; lucrative; gainful
(in) dire straits; (in a) serious bind; (in a) big pinch
moment to quit; way to quit
refresh (e.g. memory, one's spirits, etc.)
as one expects; as one wants; to one's satisfaction; as one sees fit
raging fire; conflagration
emergency; accident; rare possibility; unexpected occurrence
half-hearted reply; vague answer; reluctant answer
to fall into (someone's) hands; to fall under someone's control; to become someone's property (e.g. of an object)
major cleanup; spring cleaning
cutting in two with a single stroke; taking decisive action; dealing with decisively; cutting the (Gordian) knot
near; close; beside; attendant; retainer; vassal