foothold; footing; toehold; stepping stone
supply route; supply road; communications (military)
people; race; nation; ethnic group; ethnos
sexual excitement; estrus; oestrus; rut; (coming into) heat
earning extra money (e.g. from a side job)
marginal village; depopulated village where most inhabitants are senior citizens
town planning; urban development; community development; creating a community
to insert; to put in; to send in (to a prisoner; e.g. clothes, books); to deliver (food, refreshments, etc. to workers); to supply
world situation; world affairs
rivalry of local warlords; a number of powerful (talented, influential) persons standing by themselves in a given field
world conquest; world domination; taking over the world
still more; even more; much more; increased; greater
domestic affairs; internal administration
to establish; to formulate
military force; force of arms; strength of an army
all; the whole; on the whole; all in all; generally
private; foot soldier; infantryman; underling; low level worker; minor player
losing easily; being trounced; being beaten hands down
emotional strength; force of will
to hinder; to obstruct; to disrupt; to interfere with; to cause a delay
to pick up; to adopt (e.g. a proposal); to accept; to take away; to confiscate; to deliver (a baby)
like this; in this way; as you see
Shinsengumi; Edo period police and military force dedicated to suppressing anti-shogunate activities
sly; cunning; sneaky; miserly; mean; stingy
noh mask of a grinning, horned demoness (represents a woman's rage and jealousy); dreadful face (esp. of a woman driven mad by jealousy); terrifying facial expression
to take hold of; to possess; to haunt
to be ill; to suffer from; to worry about; to be concerned about; to have trouble doing ...; to be unable to ...
ground; land; the region in question; the local area; skin; texture; fabric
nata; sturdy broad-bladed knife, used in woodcraft and hunting (often with a rectangular blade)
metal rod; metal bar; iron rod; iron club; iron staff with rings on top (traditionally used by night watchmen)
black ships; Western ships that came to Japan between the 16th and 19th centuries, esp. those of the Perry Expedition in 1853; foreign disruptor (of the Japanese market); product, person, etc. arriving from the West and disturbing the Japanese market