dim; hazy; vague; indistinct; faint; fuzzy
mass meeting; convention; tournament; competition; grand event
to begin (doing); to start (doing)
skating (esp. ice); skate; skates
figure; form; figurine; model figure; figure skating
factional dispute; factional strife; rivalry between factions
stretching a rope around; roping off; one's turf; domain; territory (of an animal)
gifted education; special education for gifted children
field; sphere; realm; division; branch
influential; prominent; strong; likely; plausible
at that time; in those days; at that moment; then
dominant player (e.g. in politics); single strong player
prosperity; flourishing; thriving
beginning (of a century, etc.)
boom; rage; fad; boom; cross-arm
Fukuoka (city, prefecture)
years gone by; earlier years; former years; the past
star player; star athlete
Kyūshū (southernmost of the four main islands of Japan)
ice; shaved ice (usually served with flavored simple syrup)
not funny; not a laughing matter; not a joke
step (of a staircase, etc.); running board (of a bus, train); step (movement); pace; (dance) step; step (in a process)
power of expression; expressiveness; expressive power
judgement; judgment; refereeing; umpiring; referee; umpire
amateur; layman; respectable woman (i.e. not a prostitute, hostess, geisha); (arch.) unlicensed prostitute
to roll; to wheel; to turn over; to tip over; to leave; to buy and sell (quickly for a profit)
number of revolutions (i.e. as an engine speed); number of rotations; speed of revolution; speed of rotation
burden; load (e.g. CPU time, electricity, etc.)
to cross over; to cross; to pass through; to exceed; to surpass; to be more (than)