ignition; detonation; triggering; explosion
seat; bench; temporary job while looking for a better job or until one marries
the six historical styles of writing kanji: large seal, small seal, clerical, triangular-swept clerical, running, and cursive
holding a castle (during a siege); holing up; confinement (to one's home); staying at home; staying indoors
gatekeeper; door guard; doorman; concierge; janitor
nothing special; no big deal; doesn't matter; nothing to worry about
special directive; special order; special mission; special appointment
not at all; don't worry about it; forget about it
be inextricably involved; be in a sticky situation
guidepost; signpost; guide; manual; tiger beetle (esp. the Japanese tiger beetle, Cicindela japonica)
host; landlord; innkeeper
there's no other way; there are no other options; there are no alternative means
both; together; jointly; simultaneously
to be stingy; to be tightfisted; to look shabby; to appear wretched
martial arts demonstration; martial arts training
very ordinary; mediocre; all-too-common; quite commonplace
traditional; from ancient times; formerly
faint; indistinct; dim; vague; subtle; delicate
starting point; point of departure
hometown; birthplace; native place; one's old home
surprisingly; astonishingly; amazingly; alarmingly
lapse of memory; forgetting completely; (consigning to) oblivion
veil of darkness; curtain of night
impure; adulterated; foul; mixed; dishonest
something worth mentioning; something to count on; something problematic
joint establishment (esp. schools of different levels or different courses of study); establishment as an annex (e.g. of a school); juxtaposition; placing side by side
anchorage; anchoring; mooring
to take seriously; to take someone at their word; to believe (to be true)
the preceding year; the previous year; last year
United Nations (UN) Headquarters