serious; earnest; real sword (as opposed to a wooden practice weapon)
(what) the heck; (why) in the world; one object; one body; one form; one style
finally; at last; in the end; after all; never (happened)
top brass; upper echelon; higher-ups; top management; upper reaches; top of the pile
genuine; real; full-scale; full-blown; full-fledged; professional
capture (of enemy territory); taking (by storm); defeating (an opponent); attacking (a problem) strategically
to step forward; to step forth; to advance; to start; to embark on; to set forth on
all over the country; everywhere in the country; throughout the nation
such things as ...; and ... and; the minute (that) ...; no sooner than ...; be; is; o
to make war (on); to wage war (against); to compete (against); to struggle (against adversities, etc.); to fight
everything; all; the whole; entirely; completely; wholly
human being; human; person; character (of a person)
to collect; to assemble; to gather
young; youthful; immature; green; low (number); small
man; male; fellow; guy; male lover; boyfriend
to hunt out; to flush out; to round up; to impress; to recruit
this; last (couple of years, etc.); these; you (as in "you liar")
unusual; unwonted; uncharacteristic
facial expression; countenance; look; appearance; expression (vocal, etc.)
language; dialect; word; phrase; speech; (manner of) speaking
bottom of one's heart; depths of one's mind; innermost thoughts; from the bottom of one's heart; wholeheartedly; truly
to be surprised; to be astonished
here; this place; this point; here; these past ... (e.g. three years); these last ...
several years; a few years
national isolation; closing the country (to foreigners); sakoku; policy of national isolation enacted by the Tokugawa shogunate
specific; particular; designated; specifying; designating; identifying
all; everything; entirety; absolutely (not); (not) at all; (none) whatsoever
to be able (to); to be possible (to)
one of these days; someday; one day
to be caught; to be arrested; to hold on to; to grasp; to find (e.g. proof); to get (e.g. a taxi)
(making a) lesson (of); (setting an) example; warning
as (i.e. in the role of); for (i.e. from the viewpoint of); apart from... (used to change the topic); even (e.g. "not even a single person"); thinking that...; trying to...
to receive; to get; to catch (e.g. a ball); to be struck by (wind, waves, sunlight, etc.); to sustain (damage); to incur (a loss); to undergo (e.g. surgery)
state of affairs (around you); situation; circumstances
occasionally; once in a while; now and then; rarely; seldom
(if) by some chance; by some possibility; in the unlikely event that; (unlikely event of) emergency; the worst(-case scenario)
friend; ally; supporter; taking sides with; supporting; standing by
things like; something like; someone like; such a thing as; (the fact) that; to think that
to tread on thin ice; to go out on a limb; to walk a tightrope; to take risks; (lit.) to cross a dangerous bridge
distinction; difference; separate; different; exception; exclusion
why?; what for?; how?; by what means?
no good; not serving its purpose; hopeless; wasted; cannot; must not