Lord; Sir; state minister (under the ritsuryō system or Meiji Grand Council system)
plan; measure; means; scheme; policy
lone (isolated) force; forlorn force
in advance; beforehand; previously; ahead of time
incompetence; inefficiency; inability; incompetent person
(one's) superior; (one's) boss; the higher-ups
itself; one's own body; oneself; originally; naturally
great difference; big difference; wide margin
much less; to say nothing of
very fast; in a twinkle; before one's eyes
to read and understand; to take in; to sense from external cues; to read (someone's) mind; to read (calibration, tape, etc.); to scan (bar code)
to be able to manage somehow or other
marshland; wetland; swampland
entrance; entry; gate; approach; mouth
after a short while; not long after; soon; before long; shortly thereafter
hard fight; close game; struggle; tight contest
one day; all day (long); the whole day; first day of the month
to spend; to expend; to waste; to squander; to devote
interruption; suspension; break
looking over someone's shoulder
pout; displeasure; ill humor; ill humour; sullenness
to turn one's face; to turn around; to look over one's shoulder
unpleasant; disgusting; loathsome; shameful; scandalous
all; whole; entire; complete (set); in total
dimension; perspective; point of reference; level (of something)
to float; to set afloat; to show on one's face (smile, sadness, etc.); to recall; to call to mind
(in a) long time; long time (ago); while (ago); long ago; long while (ago); (in a) long while
before one's eyes; in one's presence; up close; personally
when it comes to ...; if one were to speak of ...; by ... you mean ...; when you say ... you mean that ...; whenever ...; if it's ... then (without fail)
to operate (e.g. a machine); to handle; to have a good command of (a language); to play proficiently (of a musical instrument); to work (a puppet); to pull the strings of a puppet
to appear uncomfortable (with); to seem to hate; to express dislike
to feel a chill run down one's spine
to take in; to bring in; to capture (e.g. image); to import; to win over; to please
group; (free) radical; counter for installed or mounted objects (e.g. stone lanterns, gravestones, satellites)
to weave together; to interweave; to intermingle
ingenious; skillful; clever; deft; sophisticated
to borrow; to have a loan; to hire; to rent; to buy on credit
home ground; home field; one's haunt; one's stamping ground; one's domain
of all people; a person of ...'s standing