true character; true form; true colors (colours); consciousness; one's senses
stronghold; citadel; headquarters
dreary; bleak; monotonous; tasteless; unrefined
sky; the skies; high-altitude sky; upper air
Kyoto and vicinity (esp. during Edo period); Kyoto-Osaka region; Kansai region
towards (a destination); for the purpose of; with the goal of; targeting (a group, a demographic)
-ish; -like; resembling; appearing to be; seeming to be
to float; to become merry; to be cheerful; to become loose; to become unsteady; to feel out of it; to be cut off (e.g. from those around you)
to project; to show; to portray; to depict; to describe
distance; perspective; far and near; here and there
lightly (floating); buoyantly; puffing (on a pipe, cigarette, etc.); tooting (a trumpet, horn, etc.); blowing (a flute, whistle)
reality; actuality; hard fact
expansion; extension; enlargement; escape; ESC
dimly; faintly; absentmindedly; vacantly; idly; aimlessly
to float; to be suspended; to rise to the surface; to appear; to come to mind; to have inspiration
letter (of alphabet); character; writing
magnification; leverage; amplification; competitiveness rating (e.g. for university entrance); applicant-to-acceptance ratio
double; twice (as much); times (as much); -fold; 1-nth; 1 to n
to raise; to elevate; to do up (one's hair); to fly (a kite, etc.); to launch (fireworks, etc.); to land (a boat); to show someone (into a room)
new work; new production; new composition; new creation; new title
guidance; leading (the way); information; notice; announcement (of one's arrival); invitation
advertisement; advertising; announcement; notice
to search for; to look for; to hunt for; to search (a house, pocket, etc.); to search through; to rummage in (e.g. a drawer)
arrow (symbol); (romantic) interest (for a certain person); direction (of one's attention, etc.)
dots; spots; bit by bit; little by little; here and there; scattered
in the first place; to begin with; after all; anyway; beginning; start
high-rise building; tall building; multi-storied building
is that so? (generally rhetorical)
place; situation; position; location
memory; recollection; remembrance; storage
for example; for instance; e.g.
guidance; showing the way; guide; guidepost; signpost; waymark
to visit; to call on; to arrive (season, time, situation, etc.); to come; (arch.) to make a sound; (arch.) to send a letter
full of (e.g. mistakes); riddled with; covered all over with (blood, mud, etc.)
hospital; clinic; doctor's office; doctor's surgery; infirmary
the rest; the others; in addition (to that); besides that; and so forth; and the like
service; help; discount; discounted item; free service; freebie; service
actual place; actual location; the spot; place where one is currently living
directly; in person; firsthand