post horse; mounted courier; express messenger on horseback; fast horse; swift horse
contention; competition; rivalry; quarrel
to succeed; to relieve; to take the place of; to substitute for; to be exchanged; to change (places with)
establishment; founding; organization; organisation
to follow someone's last wishes; to fulfil a dying wish
to use (as a tool) for one's own advantage; to use as a pretext; to use as an excuse
treasury; treasure house; storehouse; treasure trove; rich source (of)
sharp-eared; have sharp ears; picks things up fast
to discuss; to find fault with; to criticize; to criticise
favour; favor; favourite; favorite; patron; supporter
being extremely fond of; having a weakness for; having no eye for; being a poor judge of; having no chance (of succeeding)
wiping out; sweeping away; eradicating; dispelling
funny story; funny anecdote
defense; defence; protection
mess; sorry state; -ways; -wards; in the act of ...; just as one is ...
system; organization; organisation; imperial command; laws; regulation
to spread rumors; to spread rumours
figure of a person; figures of people; shadow of a person
lots of; a ton of; a mountain of; piles of; heaps of; so many
to coil itself (e.g. a snake); to loaf around
either way; in any case; one way or another
wait-and-see (situation, stance, etc.); waiting to see (how things play out); watching developments (before acting); probe; probing move
shopfront; storefront; shopwindow; over-the-counter
calculation; computation; bill; check; consideration; allowance
absolute amount; absolute quantity
suddenly; abruptly; slowly; without haste; calmly
something wrapped in a furoshiki
top-quality sake brewed from rice grains milled to 50% of weight or less
sharing with others what has been given to you; sharing a portion of the profit with others
of good omen; auspicious; lucky; auguring well (for); boding well (for)
to expose one's faults; to have one's defects exposed; to show oneself up
for a long time; since long ago; always; already; far in advance (e.g. reservation)
the West; the Occident; Western countries
outside the country; abroad
symbol (of something abstract); emblem; (symbolic) representation
exhaustion; consumption; using up; dissipation; waste
cannot be helped; unavoidable
each time; every time; thank you for your continued patronage; thank you for your support; hello; I'm coming in