crossing swords; competing against; contending with; fighting against
to gain experience; to accumulate experiences
to gain experience; to get accustomed (with something)
seat; seats; stands; grandstand; bleachers
soundly (sleeping); fast (asleep)
resemblance; similarity; likeness; analogy
fascinating; voluptuous; bewitching; captivating
to wear (formal clothing) in a casual fashion
shortish; rather short; somewhat short
explicit; clear; unambiguous; meaningful; lively
bottomless; unlimited; immeasurable; inexhaustible
having no relation with whatsoever; having nothing to do with; alien
one's cherished opinion; pet theory
somewhere; anywhere; in some respects
unable to read the situation; unable to pick up on the mood of a conversation
self-conceit; self-satisfaction; self-righteousness; self-importance; complacency
making oneself conspicuous; pressing one's own cause
main purpose; chief aim; focus; main point; gist; essence
novel; original; new; innovative
sense of beauty; aesthetic sense
fixed form; regular shape; standard-size mail
travelling incognito (traveling); special palanquin for carrying a daimyo or his wife incognito
spiritual realm of humanity
remote countryside; boondocks; the sticks
when one was a very young child; very early in one's life
plot; intrigue; scheme; conspiracy; agreement between two or more people to commit an unlawful act
groping (for); fumbling around (for); searching (for an answer, solution, etc.); trying to find
haori and hakama (Japanese male formal attire)
alumni association; graduates' association; alumni meeting; class reunion
to replace; to exchange; to interchange; to substitute
to make an appeal; to urge
to smile broadly; to grin widely
to give birth to; to have a stomachache
unusual; uncommon; extraordinary; out of the ordinary; incomparable; serious
to cause someone to worry
to get stuck in; to be mired in; to be addicted to
manufacturing; craftsmanship; making things by hand
advanced materials; new high-tech materials