no big deal; no match; not worth worrying about
Gothic (style); Gothic (typeface)
grace; refinement; elegance; daintiness
to grant (a request); to accept; to hear (a prayer); to comply with (a demand)
floor heating; underfloor heating
when in Rome, do as the Romans do
generous; soft-hearted; having a good personality
placid; composed; big hearted; broad-minded; great quantity (of something)
walking encyclopedia; walking dictionary
retrogression; reversal; relapse; doubling back; backtracking
ore; unprocessed metal; ground metal; (one's) true character
in the early period (of something); at the beginning
preface; foreword; introduction
dusk; twilight; twilight years; melancholia; melancholic nostalgia
living in peace; living a quiet life; being content with one's present position; being satisfied with one's lot
to deem acceptable; to approve of; to value; to consider a good thing
rainbow-colored; rainbow-coloured
diamond; (railway) schedule; timetable; diagram
real experience; actual observations
many children; large family
inevitable; necessary; certain; inevitability; necessity
three days and three nights
all over the island; throughout the island; on the island
east, west, south and north
to get lost; to lose one's bearings; to be puzzled; to be perplexed; to be tempted; to be seduced
Galapagos (island chain); Sharp brand of e-readers and mobile phones
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
arrival of ships (from abroad); arrival by ship
Perry; Peli; Pelly; Perri