to do something with painful reluctance; (lit.) to have one's hair pulled from behind
to burst into flames; to fire (of a gun); to fan a fire with one's breath
Wood Snake (42nd year of the sexagenary cycle, e.g. 1905, 1965, 2025)
round coin with a (square) hole in the center; coin made of non-precious materials; money
on the way back; returning
merchant; trader; expert (in a trade or profession); professional; woman working in the nightlife business (bar or nightclub hostess, geisha, etc.); demimondaine
sultry; sweltering; stuffy; uncomfortably hot-looking (clothing, etc.); stuffy-looking
exactly; just; precisely; punctually; exactly on time
beginning; start; first (in line, etc.); origin; such as ...; not to mention ...
to be launched (e.g. rocket); to lift off; to be washed up (on the shore)
fifth day of the month; five days
winning streak; good time to make a profit
dash at the beginning of a short-distance race; charging ahead at full strength from the beginning
setting up a stall or booth (bazaar, festival); opening a branch office; opening a store
company; association; regional Chinese god of the earth (or a village built in its honour); counter for companies, shrines, etc.
to sell out; to sell widely; to sell on a large scale
sales battle; business competition
tally; check; piece of wood or paper split in half and given to each party as a form of proof (e.g. of a transaction)
life; lifetime; career; for life; all one's life; throughout one's life
battle array; battle formation; battlefield
hilt (of a sword); haft (of a dagger); handle; handgrip
iai; art of drawing one's sword, cutting down one's opponent and sheathing the sword afterwards
decision; judgment; resolution
long sword (esp. the tachi, worn on the hip edge down by samurai); large sword; straight single-edged Japanese sword (from the mid-Heian period or earlier)
staying behind; remaining; residual
this way; here; the person in question; he; since (a time in the past); prior to (a time in the future)
warm welcome; friendly reception; hospitality; entertainment
to make way for; to make room for; to get out of the way; to pave the way for; to open up opportunity
unevenness (of colour, paint, etc.); irregularity; unevenness (of quality, results, behaviour, etc.); inconsistency; fickleness; capriciousness
foreigner; stranger; gentile; goy
be that as it may; even so; though that be so
individuality; personality; quirk; idiosyncrasy; character; individual characteristic
fencing; art of wielding swords
in good health; healthy; skilled; proficient; master; expert
Buddhist temple; religious building; church; cathedral
dojo; hall used for martial arts training; manda (place of Buddhist practice or meditation, esp. the place under the bodhi tree where Buddha attained enlightenment)
torii; Shinto shrine archway
bed; bedding; sickbed; alcove; riverbed; seedbed; straw "core" of a tatami mat
difference; disparity; gap