the New Year begins; the New Year starts; to end (e.g. apprenticeship, service)
year-end and New Year holidays (e.g. from December 29 to January 3)
hard fighting; hard struggle; fighting against heavy odds
promotion (school, military, etc.)
looking depressed; long face
to accomplish something; to leave a mark; to make an impression; to build a track record
to descend; to go down; to be handed down (of an order, judgment, etc.); to pass (of time); to surrender; to capitulate; to be less than
doctor's degree; doctorate; PhD
appointment; nomination; ordination; commission; designation
awarding; conferment; granting; presentation
certificate of merit; testimonial
shield; buckler; escutcheon; pretext; excuse; grounds (for)
January; (lit.) 13th month
wild uproar; pandemonium; clamor of voices; noisy; uproarious; clamorous
tatami mat (esp. as a measure of room size, either 1.82 sqm or 1.54 sqm)
kotatsu; table over an electric heater, with a hanging quilt to retain heat (orig. over a charcoal brazier in a floor well)
mandarin (esp. the satsuma mandarin (Citrus unshiu)); mandarin orange; tangerine; citrus (Citrus spp.)
being dotted about; being scattered; being interspersed
to unfold; to unroll; to open
to be dyed; to be tainted; to be infected; to be stained
strategic arrangement of go stones at the beginning of a game; opening moves; preparations; preparatory steps; arrangements
low-ranking soldier; graduation; moving on (from); outgrowing (something); low-ranking samurai (1870-1872); death (of a noble, etc.)
personal history document; curriculum vitae; resume
to make matters worse; besides; what's more; in addition; on top of that
grace; favor; favour; blessing; benefit
the ancients; ancient people
ancient civilization; ancient civilisation
legend; folklore; tradition
Middle Ages (in Japan esp. the Kamakura and Muromachi periods); medieval times; mediaeval times
unclear; obscure; unknown; unidentified; ignorance; lack of wisdom
one by one; one each; one at a time
ancient times; prehistoric times
subjectivity; subject (philosophical); ego; one's personal opinion; one's own idea
outrageous; wild (ambition, idea, etc.); crazy; inordinate; extravagant (e.g. claims); audacious
to have an idea; to have a clue
absence; being away from home; house-sitting; house-sitter; neglecting (e.g. one's studies); leaving unattended
videophone; video telephone; video call
inscrutable; incomprehensible
dear me; I mean; or rather
inner-city area; city center
city centre (esp. of Tokyo); heart of a city; downtown area
working in the fields; working on a farm