the West; the Occident; Western countries
shape; form; appearance; style; state; situation
lovely; sweet; pretty; cute; adorable
as is; as it is; as things are; like this; this way; at this rate
time; hour; period; class
to use (a tool, method, etc.); to make use of; to use (a person, animal, puppet, etc.); to employ; to use (time, money, etc.); to spend
to talk about; to speak of; to recite; to chant; to indicate; to show
place; spot; address; district; area; one's house; point
to pass; to pass on; to give (something) a miss; to cut it out; to knock off (for the day); to let the matter drop
head (of a household, etc.); leader; owner; proprietor; subject (of a rumour, etc.); doer (of a deed); guardian spirit (e.g. long-resident beast, usu. with mystical powers)
I've heard that ...; rumour has it that ...; it appears as if ...
already; now; no longer; not any more
indicates reason or excuse; indicates dissatisfaction; indicates desire to be pampered or indulged
how; in what way; I wonder
to finger; to touch; to make changes to; to tinker with; to dabble in; to do as a hobby
to receive; to take; to get someone to do something; to have in one's pocket (a fight, match); to contract (a disease); to catch
to mind; to care about; to be an issue; to matter; to keep company; to care for; to interfere with
no good; not serving its purpose; hopeless; wasted; cannot; must not
speaking of ...; when it comes to ...; as for ...; if one were to say ...
opposition; resistance; antagonism; reverse; opposite; inverse
alright; all right; right on; looking good; OK; okay
adds force to a statement, decision or conclusion; indicates command; (strongly) emphasizes the previous word; adds focus; some- (e.g. something, someone)
Nebuta; nighttime festival in Tōhoku (esp. Aomori)
frizz; short tufts springing up from hair surface here and there; kink; idiot hair
to jump; to leap; to splash (of oil, mud, etc.); to spatter; to burst; to crack open
in general; generally; mostly; gist; point; main idea
approval; agreement; support; favour; favor
worry; fear; anxiety; concern
(for something) to have occurred; to have done (something); (for something) to happen on occasion
to swell; to rise; to bulge; to rouse; to get excited
(not) particularly; (not) especially; (not) specially; separately; apart; additionally
Aomori (city, prefecture)
(in the) neighbourhood; neighborhood; around; about; for instance; say
Main Street Electrical Parade
scary; frightening; eerie; dreadful
it does not mean that ...; I don't mean that ...; it is not the case that ...
festival; feast; harassment by an Internet pitchfork mob; online shaming; galore (as in "goals galore"); frenzy
to make a great fuss; to raise a hue and cry; to make an uproar; to clamour
gloomy (e.g. mood); depressing; irritating; troublesome; heavy (weather); cloudy
to be temperate in; to refrain; to make notes; to jot down (e.g. phone number); to be in preparation for; to be in waiting for