point; gist; essentials; knack; trick; the ropes
oh well, fine; fine, I guess; alright, I suppose; OK, then
moving tale; impressive tale
welfare; well-being; social welfare; social security; social service
October; tenth month of the lunar calendar
poor; meagre; meager; feeble; scanty; shabby
new rice; first rice crop of the year; novice; beginner; newcomer
in a daze; absent-mindedly; dimly; hazily; with a roar (of flames); with a whoosh
library; book storage; stack room; archive (file)
junk; rubbish; trash; garbage; odds and ends
aka-e; late 19th century woodblock prints, using imported aniline dyes; red painting on ceramics
pot; jar; dice cup; depression; basin (e.g. of a waterfall); aim; what one wants
mountain road; mountain trail
valley floor; bottom of a gorge; bottom of a ravine
downturn; decrement phase
having no idea what will happen; God only knows; there is no knowing; you never can tell
formality; social rules; social status; social standing; (arch.) amendments and enforcement regulations (of the ritsuryo)
class society; class-based society; hierarchical society
severe; harsh; stringent; rigorous; strict; unfair
you (people); gentlemen; ladies and gentlemen; my friends
rationalization; rationalisation; rationalize; rationalise
postgraduate course; graduate course
free (of charge); gratuitous
asking for the moon; pining for what one doesn't have; thinking the grass is greener on the other side of the fence; asking for too much; asking for the impossible
lie; falsehood; fiction; fabrication
sleeping together; sleeping with; sharing a bed
to forge; to temper; to drill; to train; to discipline
periodic; regular; routine
lately; recently; nowadays
cliche; platitude; formula; set phrase
pretending to respect someone while in fact staying distant; keeping at arm's length; avoiding (something unpleasant); shying away from; giving the batter an "intentional walk"
shuddering; shivering; trembling; being horrified; being disgusted