to grab at; to clutch; to grapple with
declining birth rate; decline in the number of children; sub-replacement fertility
what kind of; what sort of; what; no matter what (kind of); whatever; any
turning point; change; transition; (arch.) point of difference
completely; all the way; altogether; bodily
eye measurement; measure with eye
to make a mistake (in); to commit an error; to be wrong; to be incorrect; to mislead; to misguide
self-study; teaching oneself; studying by oneself (at school) while the teacher is absent
to take care doing something; to be prudent; to take no chances; to play it safe
brake; (a) stop (to a development, behavior, etc.); (the) brakes
care; attentiveness; attention; consideration (for others); solicitude
hard worker; hardworking person
vaulting horse; vaulting box; box horse
crash; smashing (into); ramming; clash (of views, interests, teams, etc.); conflict
to look (stare) back at (someone); to look at again; to re-examine; to prove oneself superior (to someone who had previously been condescending); to put a person to shame; to look back (behind oneself)
privately; with outsiders barred; en famille
unavoidably; inevitably; necessarily; reluctantly; against one's will
concert band (as a school activity); wind ensemble
wind music; wind instrument music
gold prize; gold award; gold medal; first-place prize
selection; choice; picking out; National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament; Spring Koshien
another; different; something else
operation to win over someone by using a tactic of gentle persuasion
precondition; prerequisite
foothold; footing; toehold; stepping stone
(one's) superior; (one's) boss; the higher-ups
something heard for the first time; hearing something for the first time
to meet; to face someone; to co-star; to appear together; to be matched; to face against
paying back in installments (instalments); amortization plan (amortisation); gradual progression (oft. into an unwanted state); doing little by little; proceeding in a continual and vague fashion; gradually obscuring
sympathy; consideration; (arch.) service; (arch.) labor; (arch.) illness; (arch.) disease
crude; unrefined; coarse; ill-mannered; rude; insensitive
hard (on the ears); offensive (to the ear); rasping; rough; harsh; grating
deep blue sky; bottomless blue sky
to be heard; to be audible; to sound (like); to come across (as); to be well known; to be famous
correction; revision; compensation (e.g. to a pendulum)
soiling; polluting; shame; disgrace; chopped fish, shellfish or vegetables, dressed with (miso or other) sauce