soup containing rice cakes and vegetables (New Year's dish)
mochi; (sticky) rice cake
first three days of the New Year (January 1-3)
unexpected; unforeseen; inconceivable
articles; supplies; parts
one shō bottle (1.8 litres)
a long way off; matter for the future; not going to happen anytime soon
natural calamity; disaster
being absorbed in; losing oneself in; losing control of oneself
to deliver; to hand over; to transfer
aimlessly; by chance; accidentally; casually; suddenly; unexpectedly
standing together in a disorderly fashion; standing close around; crowding together; flooding in (applicants, election candidates, etc.)
uneasiness; vague apprehension; premonition
felling timber; cutting down trees; logging; lumbering
weakness; debility; breakdown; prostration
to flow out; to stream out; to pour out; to gush forth; to leak; to ooze out
to lose weight; to become thin; to wither away
labour pains; labor pains; birth pains; contractions
medical apparatus; medical instruments
to be(come) intertwined; to be entangled
to avert one's eyes; to avoid looking straight at something; to cover one's eyes
to cause someone's death; to cause someone to die; to kill
grasping; gripping; handful; fistful; handle; grip; rice ball
haggardness; emaciation; wasting away; being tired out; being worn out; exhaustion
for tears to gather in one's eyes; for tears to well up in one's eyes
mama; mamma; mom; female proprietress (of a bar, etc.)
enrollment in kindergarten; enrolment in nursery school; entering a park, garden, zoo, etc.
kindergarten entrance ceremony
change of course (ship); steering in a different direction
parents' day (day when parents observe their children in school)
to become thin; to fade; to grow pale
background; scenery; background (of an incident, situation, etc.); circumstances; backing; support (from behind the scenes)
shadow; shade; shading; nuance; shades of meaning; subtleties
innocence; insentient (i.e. plants, inanimate objects, etc.); free from obstructive thoughts; to pester someone (for cash, etc.)
to turn down (heat, sound, etc.)
time passes; the days and months go by; the months roll on
schoolgirl; female student
interest (in something); enthusiasm