to work on (someone); to appeal to; to make approaches to; to begin to work
arbitrator; mediator; go-between
Palace of the Dragon King; palace from the story of Urashima Tarō (said to be located at the bottom of the sea)
decisive battle of brief duration
meeting (face-to-face); seeing; visit; interview
heaven-sent child (in answer to a Shinto or Buddhist prayer); child (e.g. of an era); product
supremacy (over a nation); hegemony; domination; championship; victory
to introduce oneself; to announce oneself (e.g. as the person sought); to come forward (e.g. as a witness, with a claim, etc.)
dark; gloomy; depressed; dispirited; dark (in colour); dull; ill-boding
black curtain; wirepuller; mastermind; backroom manipulator
to grant; to give; to confer; to teach; to instruct; to impart (knowledge)
powerful army; strengthening of the military
sweet words; smooth talk; cajolery; flattery; sycophancy
to shut oneself in (e.g. one's room); to be confined in; to be filled with (emotion, enthusiasm, etc.); to fill the room (of a gas, smell, etc.); to be heavy with (e.g. smoke); to be muffled (e.g. voice); to hold (a castle, fortress, etc.)
natural extinction; dying a natural death; coming to a natural end
postwar period; period after Second World War
to pay back a debt; to have one's revenge; to settle a score; to get back at someone
to be a background factor; to be an underlying reason
clearly; distinctly; vividly
one's original family name; maiden name
reserved; introverted; reticent; shy; withdrawn
nutrition; nourishment; bringing up; nurture; rearing
mother's side of family; maternal (grandfather, uncle, etc.)
surname; family name; last name
present day; modern times; recent times; early modern period (in Japan, usu. from the Meiji Restoration until the end of World War II)