weakening; emaciation; decline
maintaining the status quo
mind; spirit; attitude; mentality; spirit (of a matter); essence
exhaustion; consumption; using up; dissipation; waste
to subsist; to keep on living
to become possible; to become able to (do)
retreat; falling back; recession; waning; backspace (key)
there is no need to ...; never happens; there is never a time when
to ask a question; to begin to ask a question
cheers; bottoms-up; toast; drink (in celebration or in honor of something); drinking one's glass dry
battle; fight; war; struggle; conflict
gong (instrument); gong (sound at the end of round, etc.)
to be raised (e.g. child); to be brought up; to grow (up)
area; domain; territory; field; range; region
formidable enemy; strong enemy; tough enemy
monopoly; monopolization; exclusivity; hogging; keeping to oneself
small apartment rented by the week
thorn; spine; splinter (esp. lodged in one's flesh); hard sharp item (esp. lodged in one's throat, e.g. fish bone); biting words
to add (one thing to another); to add (a few more words, an explanation, etc.)
empty air; sky; shunyata; emptiness; air force; fruitlessness; meaninglessness
Yamashiro (former province located in the south of present-day Kyoto Prefecture)
interview (i.e. television, newspaper, etc.)
to apply for; to make an application; to propose (marriage); to offer (mediation); to make an overture (of peace); to challenge
repeated at intervals; every other (day, week, month, ...)
to starve; to be famished; to be hungry; to be starved of (e.g. love); to be thirsty for (e.g. knowledge); to be hungry for
honorific; term of respect; polite expression; honorific language
if anything; conversely; putting it the other way around; coming at it from the opposite angle
to take another good look at; to reconsider; to analyze; to reexamine
field of vision; view; one's outlook (e.g. on life); one's horizons
setting a question (for an exam, quiz, etc.); setting a theme (for composition of poetry)
combat; battle; action; active service; actual fighting
to long for; to yearn after; to admire; to be attracted by
far away; distant place; long ago; far back; by far
key; lock; key (to a problem); clue