famine; crop failure; chronic shortage (e.g. of water)
poverty without selfish desire; honourable poverty (honorable); being poor yet honest
indulging in every possible luxury
Metropolis (of Tokyo); (Tokyo) Metropolitan District; counter for cities and towns; capital
(saying) with one voice; unanimously; in chorus; in unison; as one
capital (esp. Kyoto, Japan's former capital); seat of government; capital (of music, fashion, etc.); city (e.g. of light); location of the Imperial Palace
ringing of a bell; bell ringer
moat; fosse; canal; ditch
malicious gossip; backbiting; speaking ill behind someone's back
to brave; to risk; to harm; to afflict; to desecrate; to profane
cannot be helped; unavoidable
incomprehensible; nonsensical; puzzling; mysterious; meaningless
to instruct; to tell to do; to ask to do; to order
reception hall (esp. for visiting state dignitaries); guest house; State Guest House (esp. Akasaka palace, also guest house in Kyoto)
slatted shutter; louver door (window)
to trust; to relax one's guard (around)
grave; sad; mournful; sorrowful; pensive
to begin talking; to open up
to rule; to govern; to reign over; to subdue; to suppress; to quell
disaster; calamity; misfortune; trouble; woes
to marry (of a woman); to get married (to); to marry into (a family); (arch.) to have sexual intercourse
unbearable to look at; too miserable (or awful) to watch; cannot bear to see
to hold one's nose; to pinch one's nose
great (quantity, amount, etc.); huge; enormous; serious
hospitality; reception; treatment; (light) refreshment; entertaining with food and drink; treat
great-grandfather; great-granddad; great-grandad
neighboring town; neighbouring town; adjacent town
district; region; the country; countryside; civilian society
tsubo; traditional unit of land area, approx. 3.3 square meters; tsubo; traditional unit of fabric or paper area, approx. 9.18 square centimeters; tsubo; traditional unit of leather or tile area, approx. 918 square centimeters
fields (of rice and other crops)
work; business; company; study
fingernail mark; scratch; scars (e.g. of war); traces (of damage); ravages
trace; tracks; site; remains; scar
end of the world; farthest corner of the earth
player (of music, instrument, etc.)
year after year; as the years go by; with each passing year
to make sacrifices for; to pay dearly for
wicked person; evil person; bad child; naughty child; bad thing; mischief
vagrancy; wandering; nomadism