retro; nostalgic; old-fashioned
reception hall (esp. for visiting state dignitaries); guest house; State Guest House (esp. Akasaka palace, also guest house in Kyoto)
luxurious; magnificent; extravagant; sumptuous
astringent; bitter; austere; elegant (and unobtrusive); sour (look); glum
dignity; majesty; solemnity; gravity
past middle age; nearing old age; near-elderly; age 40
to come near; to approach; to be on the verge of; to be about to; to overhang; to hang over
to act timid (about doing); to show diffidence; to feel ashamed; to feel guilty
cunning; crafty; wily; sly
that way; that direction; that (one); that person; there; over there
to send to; to deliver; to escort (a person) home
to brave a danger; to take a risk
probe each other; sound each other out
to stop; to quit; to put an end to
core; heart (of the matter); point; crux; kernel
foundation; base; basis; from the beginning; from the outset; by nature
to perform some process; to apply some treatment; to revise; to correct
goal; target; aim; mark; sign; landmark
to investigate thoroughly; to examine closely; to probe into; to be obsessed with a thought; to brood over; to worry about
brain waves; electroencephalogram; EEG
science fiction; sci-fi; SF
to cross one's mind; to spring to mind; to occur to one
to put away; to stow away; to tuck away; to hoard
artificial; unnatural; human-caused (e.g. mistake, error, disaster); man-made
to allow; to enable; to make possible; to make feasible; to permit
plan; device; idea; design; contrivance; conception
rough (estimate, outline, etc.); broad; general; generous; openhanded
structure; construction; arrangement; plan; plot; contrivance
alias; pseudonym; pen name; nom de plume; different name; other name
transverse wave; beam sea
to keep in pace with; to keep up with; to follow (someone's thought); to understand