perfect; complete; flawless
being put to shame; being outshone; being eclipsed; feeling embarrassed
announcement; presentation; demonstration; displaying; showing; introducing
backboard; dorsal plate; tergum
elegant; graceful; refined; leisurely; comfortable; easy
to join hands together; to join forces; to collaborate
to smile cheerfully; to crack a smile
to become popular; to grow in popularity; to catch on
angular; angular-shaped; sharp-pointed
to repel; to drive away; to repulse; to reject
halfway; half measures; unfinished; incomplete; by halves; half-baked
to have rumors going around (rumours); to have rumors spread
headache inducing; vexing
shiitake mushroom (Lentinula edodes)
song; singing; classical Japanese poem (esp. tanka); modern poetry
something heard for the first time; hearing something for the first time
on a stage; on a platform; on an altar
Osaka (city); (arch.) large hill
president (of a nation); big man; boss; buddy
Sapporo (city in Hokkaido)
doctor; PhD; exposition; fair; exhibition
conversation; conference (usu. between important people); discussion; interview
percussion; tapping; examining by percussion; sounding out (someone's intentions); making an approach (about)
several years; a few years
China; Chūgoku region (western part of Honshu comprising the prefectures of Okayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Tottori and Shimane); central part of a country; main region; province of the second lowest rank (ritsuryo system)
absence; being away from home; house-sitting; house-sitter; being left unattended to (of one's studies, etc.); neglecting
underhanded; unfair; makeshift; stopgap
concrete; definite; specific; material; substantial
to not believe one's ears
family trouble (quarrel); domestic squabble; internal squabble (over headship rights) in a daimyo family in the Edo period