visit by an emperor or noble
might is right; history is written by the victors; winners are always right and losers are always in the wrong
high-pressure salesmanship; the hard sell; aggressive peddling
to be made an example of; to be made a victim of; to be exposed to ridicule
Minister of Communications and Transportation (1885-1949)
degree of cloudiness; cloud cover
traditional Japanese pattern; traditional Japanese design
giving the Emperor advice on affairs of state; assistance; counsel
Minister of the Imperial Household
communications (e.g. post, telegraph)
osechi; osechi-ryōri; traditional food eaten during the New Year's holidays
Ministry of Communications and Transportation (dissolved in 1949)
to affect someone's prestige; to be beneath one's dignity
to tip off (e.g. the police); to inform (on); to squeal; to rat
chain (of); series (of); sequence; suite (e.g. of rooms)
affectation; showiness; pretence
fit for use; available; operational; practicable; usable
the other day; some time ago; recently
images drawn or painted on fusuma
His Majesty the Emperor; the present emperor; the reigning emperor
boiled octopus; person as red as a lobster
to reject; to spurn; to turn down; to refuse
shed; shelter; terminal (e.g. cargo, airport, etc.); temporary covering of a building being built
main building (of a manor); central room (of a house)
Imperial Palace (esp. from 1888 to 1946)
(telephone) switchboard; switchboard operator
a diamond on a dunghill is still a diamond; quality is quality; an old eagle is better than a young crow; (lit.) even if it's rotten, it's still sea bream
to jump on someone's (verbal) mistake; to trip someone up; to find fault with something someone says
there are no tricks or gimmicks (phrase used at magic shows); perfectly ordinary (e.g. mirror, pack of cards)