disaster preparedness; prevention of damage resulting from a natural disaster; protection against disaster
fire fighting; fire department; fire brigade
to measure; to weigh; to survey; to conjecture; to infer; to surmise
(not) always; (not) necessarily; (not) entirely; (not) all
past; after; too (much); over- (e.g. eating)
remainder; remnant; (not) very; (not) much; too much; excessively
to be tied together; to be connected to; to lead to; to be related to; to be related (by blood)
effect; result; worth; use; avail
unfavourable comparison; unfavorable comparison
insisting (unreasonably); obstinate insistence
Tajima (former province located in the north of present-day Hyōgo Prefecture)
to become blue; to turn green; to turn pale; to blanch (with fear)
land east of China; Japan
to rank next to; to come after
if one is unlucky; if one is careless; if things don't go well
just cause; good reason; pretext; duty (to one's country, sovereign, etc.)
in swarms; in great crowds
consultation; discussion; conference; collusion; bid-rigging
crisis; critical situation; emergency; pinch
kindness; favor; favour; goodwill; affection; liking (for someone)
to bare one's fangs; to snarl (at)
portable shrine (carried in festivals); palanquin; buttocks; lower back
quite; utterly; (not) at all; completely; wholly; entirely
to plan; to intend; to aspire to; to set aims (sights on)
preceding paragraph; first part
thundering; purring; something large and heavy starting to roll; scattered about; common; idleness; idling about
even though; despite; when
far away; far off; nowhere near; far cry
preeminence; excellence; superiority; transcendence
biggest; greatest; largest; maximum
conspirators; faction; cabal; clique
hereditary daimyo (whose ancestors supported Tokugawa Ieyasu prior to the battle of Sekigahara)
performance of one's official duties
convenience; user-friendliness
young and energetic; up-and-coming; new and excellent; newly produced; up-and-comer