order;  ordering;  beginning;  start;  foreword;  preface
 Common Era;  CE;  Christian Era;  Western (Gregorian) calendar
 year;  counter for years (e.g. of an era), grades (e.g. school);  period of an apprentice's contract (usu. ten years)
 time;  hour;  occasion;  case;  chance;  opportunity
 indicates sentence topic;  indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated);  adds emphasis
 to engage in a bloody feud;  to have a family quarrel;  to quarrel with one's own flesh and blood; (lit.) to wash blood for blood
 Warring States period (of Japanese history, approx. 1467-1568 CE);  Sengoku period;  Warring States period (of Chinese history, 403-221 BCE);  era of vicious competition
 indicates possessive;  nominalizes verbs and adjectives;  substitutes for "ga" in subordinate phrases;  (at sentence-end, falling tone) indicates a confident conclusion;  (at sentence-end) indicates emotional emphasis;  (at sentence-end, rising tone) indicates question
 right in the midst of;  right at the height of
 wisteria (esp. Japanese wisteria, Wisteria floribunda);  wistaria
 storm;  tempest;  uproar;  hullabaloo;  storm (e.g. of protest)
 country;  state;  region;  national government;  central government;  home (i.e. hometown, home country); (arch.)  province (of Japan)
 ruler;  monarch;  sovereign
 neighbouring country;  neighboring country;  adjacent country
 aconite (esp. species Aconitum japonicum);  wolfsbane;  monkshood;  traditional bugaku hat
 at (place, time);  in;  to (direction, state);  toward;  for (purpose);  because of (reason);  for
 blade;  sword;  forged blade;  wavy pattern on forged blades;  sharpness;  unhulled rice
 indicates direct object of action;  indicates subject of causative expression;  indicates an area traversed;  indicates time (period) over which action takes place;  indicates point of departure or separation of action;  indicates object of desire, like, hate, etc.
 to turn towards;  to point
 battle formation;  camp;  encampment;  group;  gang;  war
 middle palace guard (ritsuryo system)
 that;  the;  part (as in "part two");  um ...;  er ...
 wife and children; (arch.)  wife
 all present;  all concerned;  all of us
 until (a time);  till;  to (a place or person);  as far as;  to (an extent);  up to
 rooting up (weeds, etc.);  eradication;  rooting out;  stamping out
 to do;  to carry out;  to cause to become;  to make (into);  to serve as;  to act as;  to wear (clothes, a facial expression, etc.)
 prosperity;  glory;  splendour;  splendor;  majesty;  luxury
 in that way;  thus;  so;  so?
 long (distance, length);  long (time);  protracted;  prolonged
 nonexistent;  not being (there);  unowned;  not had;  unique;  not;  impossible
 to serve;  to work for;  to attend
 ninja;  person trained in ninjutsu and employed for covert purposes in feudal Japan
 blood;  blood;  ancestry;  (the) blood;  feelings
 cherry tree;  cherry blossom;  fake buyer;  paid audience;  hired applauder;  horse meat
 endurance;  forbearance;  patience;  self-restraint
 group;  bunch;  crowd;  group
 by means of;  due to;  because of;  according to
 retaliation;  revenge;  reprisal;  retorsion;  retortion
 truth;  reality;  sincerity;  honesty; (arch.)  that's right
 on the occasion of;  circumstances;  juncture