obsession; fixation; complaining; criticizing; speciality (e.g. of restaurants)
improvement (e.g. in skill, ability); advance; progress; communication of opinions of the general populace to those of high rank
lowering; sinking; depreciation; price fall; punch line (of a rakugo story); (arch.) sword strap
attaching and detaching; putting on and removing
gentlemanly; well-mannered; well-bred; gentlemanlike
to go round and cut in; to take a roundabout path
madness; craziness; insanity
marked; pronounced; showing a strong tendency (towards)
any; all; every; both; either; none (with neg. verb)
pretending not to see something; turning a blind eye to; burying one's head in the sand
shackles; fetters; irons; bonds (e.g. family); ties; binding relationship
growth; development; one's early life; upbringing; personal history
acrobatic barrel-rolling (performed using the feet while lying on the back); handing something around (within a fixed group of people in a pre-arranged order); handing off a problem to someone else (in order to evade responsibility)
abuse; ill-treatment; maltreatment; mistreatment; cruelty
what with this and that; for a number of reasons
uninterested; unconcerned; plain; light; flowing gently
vague; obscure; indistinct; hazy; ambiguous
Venus de Milo (classical Greek sculpture of Aphrodite)
whatever the case; under any circumstances
Venus (Roman goddess); Venus (planet)
all; altogether; entirely; exactly like; just like; spitting image of
makings (of); aptitude; talent; nature; character; temperament
to act cocky; to put on airs; to be full of oneself
trembling from fear; trembling all over
Jizo (esp. statue); Kshitigarbha; Ksitigarbha
Kshitigarbha (bodhisattva who looks over children, travellers and the underworld); Ksitigarbha; Jizō
to put on (one's head); to wear; to be covered with (dust, snow, etc.); to pour (water, etc.) on oneself; to bear (e.g. someone's debts, faults, etc.); to take (blame); to overlap (e.g. sound or color)
sniff; sniff-sniff (esp. an animal); whining; whimpering
ticklish; embarrassed; awkward; ill at ease (esp. when receiving public praise)
news coverage; collecting data (e.g. for an article); covering (something for media); interview
to become a (bad) habit; to get accustomed to
mountain stream; valley; dale; wetlands; swamp; marsh