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
indicates sentence subject (occasionally object); indicates possessive (esp. in literary expressions); but; however; regardless of; whether (or not)
arrival of ships (from abroad); arrival by ship
indicates sentence topic; indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated); adds emphasis
Bakumatsu period; closing days of the Tokugawa shogunate; end of the Edo period
called; named; as many as; as much as; all ...; every single ...
violent shock; agitation; turbulence; turmoil; upheaval; excitement
indicates possessive; nominalizes verbs and adjectives; substitutes for "ga" in subordinate phrases; (at sentence-end, falling tone) indicates a confident conclusion; (at sentence-end) indicates emotional emphasis; (at sentence-end, rising tone) indicates question
period; epoch; the times; those days; oldness; ancientness
indicates direct object of action; indicates subject of causative expression; indicates an area traversed; indicates time (period) over which action takes place; indicates point of departure or separation of action; indicates object of desire, like, hate, etc.
to go out to meet; to receive; to welcome; to accept (e.g. as a member of a group or family); to call for; to summon
trouble (I have put you through); (your) hard work; thank you for your hard work; I appreciate your efforts
don't; do; hey; listen; now, ...; well, ...
time; hour; occasion; case; chance; opportunity
Ansei era (1854.11.27-1860.3.18)
year; counter for years (e.g. of an era), grades (e.g. school); period of an apprentice's contract (usu. ten years)
this; last (couple of years, etc.); these; you (as in "you liar")
world; society; life; lifetime; age; era; reign
too; also; both A and B; A as well as B; even; as much as
sunny spot; exposure to the sun
tree; shrub; bush; wood; timber
like; similar to; (I) think (that); (I) have a feeling (that); feels like; feels similar to
thing; object; one's things; possessions; things; something; quality
be; is; did; (have) done; please; do
to fall (over, down); to collapse; to be destroyed (in a collapse); to collapse; to be confined to bed (with an illness); to come down with; to die
to take (a resource, e.g. time or money); to hang; to come into view; to arrive; to come under (a contract, a tax); to start (engines, motors); to attend
large tree; big tree; huge tree
at (place, time); in; to (direction, state); toward; for (purpose); because of (reason); for
to become; to get; to result in; to turn out; to consist of; to be composed of; to be completed
passionate; hot-blooded; full of vitality
before long; soon; almost; nearly; finally; in the end
undulation; winding; meandering; swell (of waves); surge; billow
to gulp down; to swallow deeply; to understand; to take in; to engulf; to swallow up
to go; to move (in a direction or towards a specific location); to proceed; to take place; to pass through; to come and go; to walk
theme; topic; subject matter; motif; project; slogan
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)
to begin to attend (e.g. school)
sword; blade; single stroke