secrecy; highly classified information
clerk; office worker; office staff
in preparation; (shop) not yet open for business
forfeiture; seizure; confiscation; impounding
hollow; cavity; hole; cave
pattern; design; body build; figure; essential qualities; character
before one's eyes; under one's nose; immediate (e.g. interests); present; foresight; near future
windless; calm; quiet (state of affairs); peaceful; stable
modern Japanese (design or architecture); traditionally Japanese (design) in a modern form
charm; attractiveness; courtesy; ingratiating behaviour; entertainment; amusement
having worldly wisdom; worldly person; cosmopolitan
skillful; adroit; craft; craftsmanship; plot; scheme
to make oneself pleasant to everybody; to smile at everybody; to try to please everybody; to make things pleasant
sycophant; apple-polisher; flatterer; sesame seed grinding
acquisition (esp. corporate); buy-out; takeover; bribery; buying off; corruption
degree of perfection; level of completion; degree of completion
Natsume Souseki (1867-1916)
leading; foremost; preeminent; outstanding; one of the best
to interrupt; to interfere; to meddle; to intrude; to butt in; to poke one's nose into
a-ha-ha (laughing loudly)
to excite; to incite; to stimulate; to arouse; to tempt; to stir up
to speak ill of; to disparage
two-top (soccer formation); formation with two forwards at the front line
mochi; (sticky) rice cake
one house; the same house
to feel like; to feel inclined to do
shh!; sh!; shush!; shoo!; go away!
quick on the uptake; quick to catch on; perceptive; intuitive
to bear fruit; to take effect
reduction in working hours; reduction in business hours; time-saving
feigning ignorance; acting dumb
method of bringing up; method of raising
one's favourite party trick (favorite); one's specialty; No. 18; eighteenth; repertoire of 18 kabuki plays
anyone; anybody; everyone; everybody; whoever
to cling to; to hold on to; to grapple; to set about doing; to begin; to take hold of
should time and circumstances permit