protection; defense; providence; amulet; charm
concentration (on a task); focusing one's attention; concentration (of population, buildings, power, etc.); centralization; within a collection of works
to push back; to press back; to force back; to (refuse and) return (something); to give back
standing by; awaiting an opportunity; being on alert; quarantine
bombarding; shelling; bombardment
state-of-the-art; cutting-edge
long, narrow house (e.g. traditional Kyoto townhouse); (lit.) eel bed
narrow; confined; small; limited; narrow-minded; confining
to go against; to oppose; to disobey; to defy
to see the light of day; to be revealed (to the world); to be realized
execution (e.g. of a plan); carrying out; (putting into) practice; execution (of a program); run
same distance; equal distance
state (of the US, Australia, India, Germany, etc.); province (e.g. of Canada); continent; province (of Japan); province (of ancient China); prefecture
right (to do something); authority; power
to cut off (someone's head); to behead; to decapitate
to fire from a job; to dismiss; to discharge; to behead
secret; clandestine; covert; spy (for a daimyo, shogun, etc.); secret agent
in (e.g. secret); with (e.g. success)
derailment; digression; deviation
to arouse someone's interest; to whet (appetite); to be appealing; to be intriguing; to be fascinating
defeat; lost battle; losing a war
military of the Empire of Japan
decisive mainland battle (land battle envisioned late in World War II)
Imperial General Headquarters (Japan)
inland districts; inland areas
to transfer (to a different place, group, etc.); to change; to move to the next stage (of a plan, etc.); to divert (one's attention) to; to focus on (something different); to spend (time); to let (time) pass
Nagano (city, prefecture)
decisive battle; deciding match; play-off
historical event; ancient event; tradition; folklore; legend
fighting with one's back to the wall; having burnt one's bridges; last stand; last-ditch effort
to spread out (e.g. a futon); to lay out; to lay down (e.g. a cushion); to impose widely (e.g. martial law); to promulgate; to pin down; to hold down