layer; stratum; class; stratum; sheaf; counter for stories (of a building)
two incompatible things (or people); (going together like) oil and water
faction; branch; sect; denomination; branching off
enemy territory; hostile place
to be mature and kind; to be well-balanced; to be a good person
sacred scripture; sacred book; holy book; writings of a sage
heinous; treacherous; atrocious; diabolic; fiendish; inhuman
hostility; antagonism; opposition
to hate the very sight (of); to hold a grudge (against); to treat (someone) like an enemy; to bear constant enmity (towards); to be gunning for; to have it in for
countries all over the world; all the countries of the world
theme; subject; motif; theme for the Imperial New Year's Poetry Contest
attendance; presence; appearance
large country; major nation; great power; province of the highest rank (ritsuryō system)
no wonder; little wonder; after all; as expected; which isn't surprising
spurious article; forgery; counterfeit; imitation; sham
to switch (secretly); to substitute; to replace; to sidestep (an issue)
of all (things, people, places, days, etc.)
strenuous effort; hard struggle; working hard; hard fighting; fierce fighting
to not understand; to not (quite) know; to be unsure; to be unable to tell
serious; important; significant; grave; weighty
to condemn; to blame; to urge; to press; to torture; to torment
cannot be helped; unavoidable
pack of lies; complete fabrication; all lies
front and rear; before and after; order; sequence; consequences; context
(with a) mindset as if one were playing a video game; thinking of (treating) something as though it were a game
to be certain of; to have faith in; to believe completely; to trust (someone completely)
to fall to one's knees; to go down on one's knees (e.g. to express respect)
to bow one's head; to hang one's head; to droop (e.g. ears of grain)
pus; corruption; rot; evils
extinguishing a fire; (Edo-period) fireman
abasement; fall; forfeiture; sinking (in people's estimation)
understanding completely; understanding all there is to know
to do whatever it takes; to use every trick in the book; to use any means; to stop at nothing
disinformation; false information
basis for decision; evidence for judging
other than; except for; aside from; apart from; save for
dramatic (improvement); remarkable (difference); marked; (far) better; exceptional
first-class goods; A-grade product
encirclement; encircling net; tight besiegement
to be doing; to be in the process of doing
four times (as much); quadruple; fourfold
serving (of food); helping; chilled soba served on a dish (often on a wicker basket or in a shallow steaming basket) with dipping sauce