being very popular; being in great demand; octopus dried on skewers
excuse me (when passing in front of somebody)
demotion; relegation; reduction in rank; degradation; downward move
to have someone send (a message, parcel, etc.); to send (via someone else); to leave (a message) with someone; (arch.) to use as an excuse; (arch.) to make a pretext of
to break into pieces; to chip off
friendly; easy to get on with; easy to talk to; easy to like
not straightforward; not dealt with by ordinary means
taking up a new line of work; the beginning of things; starting the preparations for New Year's festivities (December 8 in Tokyo, December 13 in Kyoto); resuming work after the New Year's vacation
Chakaman (brand-name of rechargeable lighter)
countermeasures to the falling birthrate
out of character; unlike one
person who tends to find things bothersome; person who doesn't like to make an effort
near-death; close to death
to amuse oneself; to make merry
upper; upward; outer; surface; top
long hair (usu. of a man)
long-distance arrow (archery)
police force; police squad
august (in ref. to the emperor or the gods); imperial; divine
to smoke; to smoulder; to be sooty; to be smoke-stained; to smoulder (e.g. a dispute); to smolder
shime-waza (judo stranglehold)
to have a tendency to; to be liable to; to have a touch of; to have a smack of
unable to put up any resistance; unable to put up a fight; not standing a chance (against)