(metropolitan) prefecture (of Osaka and Kyoto); the centre or seat (of) (center); (government) office; fu; historical administrative unit in China, Korea and Vietnam
crisis; critical situation; emergency; pinch
war potential; military strength; fighting power; ability (to compete); capabilities; valuable asset
military force; military strength
crisis awareness; sense of impending crisis
contacting; (making) contact; connection (with a train, bus, etc.); joining (a railway line, etc.); connection (between matters, incidents, etc.); relation
there's no (other) way; cannot be helped; unavoidable; it's no use (doing); pointless; hopeless (person)
court noble; nobility; three lords and nine ministers (of the ancient Chinese government)
meeting; conference; session; assembly; council; convention
merits; distinguished services
treatment (of a person); dealing with
tracking down and killing; punitive expedition
have to (verb); must (verb); is indispensable; absolutely necessary
approximately; about; to (about) the extent that; (almost) enough that; as ... as ...; like
kindness; intimacy; friendship
putting one's life on the line; staking one's life (on); risking one's life; life and death situation
person who has rendered distinguished service
misunderstanding; mistaken idea; wrong guess
to shoot or fire off an arrow
the farthest ends; the furthest ends
unique; peculiar; singular
to build up; to complete; to construct; to make up; to fabricate; to invent
to come to an end; to lower the curtain
Matsuo Bashou (1644-1694)
first-person plural (or singular); second or third person plural (implies speaker is of higher status than those referred to)
tear; tears; lachrymal secretion; sympathy
haikai; collective name for haiku, haibun, haiga, senryū, etc.; humorous or vulgar renga poetry
traveller's journal; traveler's journal; travelogue
The Narrow Road to the Deep North (chronicle by Matsuo Basho, published in 1702)
closing years (period, days); last stage; end stage; terminal (e.g. cancer, disease, etc.); final
Ōu (the two former provinces of Mutsu and Dewa); Tōhoku
Fujiwara No Kiyohira (1056-1128)
willow (any tree of genus Salix); weeping willow (Salix babylonica)
imperial palace (esp. Kyoto Imperial Palace); imperial residence; residence of a shogun, minister, etc.; emperor; ex-emperor; empress