rural area; countryside; the sticks; hometown
for the first time in one's life
Nagano (city, prefecture)
large; big; older; senior; final; ultimate
not all bad; not as dissatisfied (or annoyed) as one would have others believe
to make an appeal; to urge
grand; magnificent; majestic; great; sublime
hah (derisively); pooh; pfft (of something disappearing); poof; huff; puff
older brother; elder brother; young man; buddy; fella
bang; bam; noontime signal gun (carried out early Meiji to Taishō); noon gun; last round in a game of 12 rounds; precisely
(on a) closer look; closer scrutiny; second look
to be dented; to be indented; to be beaten; to be overwhelmed; to be disheartened; to feel down
taking no notice (of); thinking nothing of; disregarding; not aware of; completely ignoring; being out of consideration
to keep talking; to go on and on; to talk non-stop
to turn over (in one's sleep); to toss and turn (in bed); to change sides; to double-cross; to betray
to resonate emotionally (with one); to strike a chord in one's heart
to dream (i.e. while asleep); to have a dream; to dream (of the future); to have a fleeting experience
finishing writing; completion of a manuscript
printout; (computer) printing
eternity; perpetuity; permanence; immortality
to be overturned; to be reversed; to turn over; to fall down; to tumble down; to topple over
ghastly; gruesome; appalling; lurid
state; condition; the way things should be; ideal state; truth
revising (e.g. manuscript); rewriting; revised manuscript
to rank next to; to come after
amendment; correction; revision; modification; alteration; retouching
lower back; waist; hips; body (of hair, noodle, paper, etc.); resilience; spring
to blow off; to be blown off
preface; foreword; preamble
chapter; section; medal; badge; insignia
column (e.g. in newspaper); stand-alone feature article framed by a box
five (long cylindrical things)
cover; covering; cover song; cover version; coverage; to compensate for (a loss)
by return; (call or write back) without delay; lapel; cuff; going back; returning; chorus
recent state; present state; present condition; current status; current circumstances
instantly; immediately; equals; means; oneness (of two opposing things); inseparability