birth; birthplace; born in (country, month, imperial era, zodiac year, etc.)
zori; traditional Japanese thonged sandals
to seize; to catch; to obtain; to acquire; to understand; to grasp
beginning and end; from beginning to end; result; outcome; dealing with something successfully
finally; in the end; at last; in the end; after all; never (happened)
promotion; advancement; rising in rank
three years; third school year (e.g. of high school)
bang; bam; noontime signal gun (carried out early Meiji to Taishō); noon gun; last round in a game of 12 rounds; precisely
success in life; getting ahead; successful career; promotion; climbing the corporate ladder; eminence
and; besides; because; since; the thing is; for one thing
worth; merit; value; good point; strong point; redeeming feature
to become stiff (of muscles); to get absorbed in; to develop a passion for; to be elaborate; to be intricate
life; existence; (one's) working life; career; life force; lifeblood
omission; slip; error; definition (of photograph); sharpness; clarity (sound)
dull; uninteresting; insignificant; unimportant; absurd; foolish
food delivery service; catering; walk-on part (in a play or film); background actor; extra
to make (the best) use of; to put to good use; to let live; to keep alive; to revive; to resuscitate
always; constantly; at all times; habitually
trouble; hardship; difficulty; anxiety; worry; concern
pitching ability; counter for throws (of a javelin, bowling ball, etc.); counter for casts (of a line)
rough (estimate, summary, etc.); broad; general; careless (e.g. work); sloppy; crude
companions; friends; comrades; mates; partners
lively; vigorous; sprightly; animated; vivid
to flash (e.g. lightning); to flicker; to flutter (e.g. flag); to wave; to flash into one's mind (e.g. an idea); to come to one suddenly
to branch; to fork; to separate; to split; to disperse; to scatter
to return; to come back; to turn over; to become extremely; to become completely
deep (colour); dark; strong (flavour, smell, etc.); thick (consistency); dense; strong (possibility, etc.)
without; unless; have to do
to prove successful; to take hold; to amount to something
to be delighted; to be glad; to congratulate; to welcome (a proposal, advice, etc.); to take kindly to; to do with pleasure
experienced viewer (of theatre, kabuki, etc.); kabuki connoisseur
way; manner; (for) the first time in (e.g. ten years); after ...; ...-sized; amount (equivalent to ...)
one by one; each; every; at intervals of
always; without exception; necessarily; certainly; without fail; positively
necessary; needed; essential; necessity; need; requirement
not less than ...; ... and over; beyond (e.g. one's expectations); above; the above; the above-mentioned
writing brush; paintbrush; writing with a brush; drawing with a brush; writing (composing text); the written word
to spend; to expend; to waste; to squander; to devote
the world; society; sphere; circle; world-renowned; world-famous
Western cultivar; Western variety; Western breed
new; neo-; newness; novelty; Gregorian calendar; Xin dynasty (of China; 9-23 CE)
protagonist; main character; hero; head (of a household); proprietor (of a store)