inner palace (in Edo Castle);  palace's ladies chambers;  shogun's harem
 tasting (food or drink) for poison;  checking the taste (of a dish);  seeing how something tastes
 number (in a series);  (one's) turn;  watch;  guard;  rank;  standing;  bout
 hereditary occupational group (Yamato period)
 echo;  reverberation;  sound (esp. the distinctive sound of an object or activity, e.g. rain, gun, gallop, drum);  noise;  quality of a sound (e.g. a fine phrase, clear voice, resonant bell);  feeling of a sound
 dear (old);  fondly-remembered;  beloved;  missed;  nostalgic
 used;  second-hand;  old;  Middle Ages (in Japan esp. Heian period)
 to become (a state, condition, etc.)
 to be renewed;  to change;  to be improved;  to be reformed;  to stand on ceremony;  to be formal
 literal meaning (of a word, etc.)
 a short while ago;  a moment ago;  just now;  some time ago
 to separate (by distance, time, etc.);  to isolate;  to interpose;  to have between;  to alienate;  to estrange
 north;  the North;  northern territories;  North Korea; (arch.)  north wind
 heavenly king;  Gozu Tenno (deity said to be the Indian god Gavagriva)
 next (to);  adjoining;  adjacent;  house next door;  neighbouring house;  next-door neighbour
 newly born imperial prince;  newly constructed (branch) shrine
 patron god;  tutelar deity;  guardian deity;  local deity
 slope;  incline;  hill;  milestone;  (age) mark
 close connection;  deep involvement;  close relationship
 Gion (entertainment district in Kyoto)
 portable shrine (carried in festivals);  palanquin;  buttocks;  lower back
 to move;  to stir;  to operate;  to run;  to make a move;  to take action;  to be touched
 to boast of;  to be proud of;  to take pride in
 ascent;  climbing;  up-train;  train heading toward the starting point of its route;  upbound (esp. toward Tokyo);  upstream
 special;  particular;  extraordinary;  exceptional;  especial
 fortunately;  luckily;  thankfully
 treatment;  reception;  service;  working conditions;  salary;  pay
 judging from;  on the basis of;  from the point of view of
 such;  like that;  that sort of;  very
 wasteful;  a waste;  too good;  more than one deserves;  impious;  profane
 unavoidable;  inevitable;  beyond one's control
 to demean;  to despise;  to treat with contempt;  to abase
 equal;  identical;  the same;  no different (to);  just like;  equivalent
 to arrive at;  to reach;  to sit on;  to sit at (e.g. the table)
 samurai;  warrior;  military family
 lower-ranking vassal in the Kamakura and Edo periods
 good citizens;  law-abiding people
 loafing;  indolent;  lazy;  hey
 insult;  affront;  slight;  contempt (e.g. of court)
 to conceal oneself;  to hide;  to endure;  to bear;  to stand
 kind;  sort;  type;  similar example;  parallel;  the like