materials; ingredients; material (for a novel, experiment, etc.); subject matter; grounds (for a decision, judgement, etc.); basis
much less; to say nothing of
recoil; hesitation; flinching; shrinking back
honest; frank; candid; honestly; frankly
conquest (of a difficulty, illness, handicap, etc.); overcoming; bringing under control; subjugation; victory over
to plan; to intend; to aspire to; to set aims (sights on)
the same generation; coeval
to be (in contrast to something that is not the case)
by (means of); by doing; due to; via; through
to bring; to take; to bring about
recognition and guarantee, by the shogunate, of ownership of the inherited estate of a samurai who pledged allegiance to it (in the Kamakura and early Muromachi periods)
simple; plain; modest; frugal; reserved
to be born and raised (in); to be born and brought up; to be born and bred
when one was a very young child; very early in one's life
to long for; to yearn after; to admire; to be attracted by
by the way; incidentally; sometimes; occasionally; precisely (at that time); exactly
pact; convention; agreement
joining (a club, organization, etc.); becoming a member; entry; admission; subscription; affiliation
younger brother; little brother; brother-in-law (spouse's younger brother or younger sister's husband); (arch.) pupil; (arch.) apprentice
not only ... but also; in addition to; consequently
by all means; at all costs; absolutely
vague; obscure; indistinct; hazy; ambiguous
yearning; longing; aspiration; adoration; admiration
taking an examination (esp. school and university entrance)
measure; step; countermeasure; counterplan; countermove; strategy
to reach one's ears; to come to one's knowledge; to hear about; to learn of (by chance)
to be absorbed in reading
to roll up; to enfold; to swallow up; to involve; to drag into
respect; esteem; reverence; honour; honor
to well (up); to gush forth (of water); to appear (esp. suddenly) (sweat, tears, etc.); to feel emotions from (joy, bravery, etc.); to hatch (esp. of parasitic insects, etc.)
exaltation; emotional uplift
order; discipline; regularity; system; method
armed might; military power; the sword; force
activity (of a person, organization, animal, volcano, etc.); action; movie (esp. during the silent movie period)
corridor; gallery; hallway; cloister (i.e. covered walk typically circling a building or garden, esp. in a palace or place of worship)
stage (theatre, theater); scene or setting (e.g. of novel, play, etc.)
arbitration; conciliation; mediation