serious look (on one's face); straight face
dinner party; ceremonial dinner; dinner meeting (or lunch, breakfast)
reserve; spare; treasured; valued; (ace) up one's sleeve; trump
close (e.g. friend); familiar; familiar (e.g. story); well-known (to one); close (relatives); closely related
exactly; precisely; just; just (like); as if; as though
background; scenery; background (of an incident, situation, etc.); circumstances; backing; support (from behind the scenes)
in the future; another day; later
unfashionable; uncouth; unrefined; unpolished; unsophisticated
going out; outing; leaving (one's home, office, etc.)
wearing thick clothes; dressing warmly
fur; skin; pelt; kanji "fur" radical
splendid; fine; praiseworthy; creditable; legal; legitimate
heavy outfit designed to keep out the cold
hurriedly; in a hurry; hastily; sudden; abrupt
compensation; reparation; price (of achieving a goal); cost; paying compensation on someone's behalf; compensation
guest; visitor; customer; client; shopper
juice pressed from a bitter orange; ponzu (Japanese sauce made primarily of soy sauce and citrus juice)
final; eventual; ultimate
to attach; to stick together; to place together; to put side by side; to make (someone) get married; to get (someone) hitched
dashi; Japanese soup stock made from fish and kelp
kombu (usu. Saccharina japonica); konbu; kelp; any edible species from the family Laminariaceae
quality (of a product or a service)
end; tip; end (of the year, month, etc.); close; youngest child; descendants; offspring
bittern; concentrated solution of salts (esp. magnesium chloride) left over after the crystallization of seawater or brine
just made; fresh (e.g. from the oven); newly built (e.g. house); brand-new
chief; main; principal; major
moving forward (e.g. of a vehicle); onward movement; progress (of work, activities, etc.); advance; progression (of a disease, global warming, etc.); progression (e.g. chord progression)
ought to do; have to do; must do; feel obliged to
with a rattling sound; with a (gentle) clinking sound; rapping (on a door); (cooking) at a simmer; (boiling) gently; (bubbling) lightly
wick; marrow; core; heart; pistil (of a flower); stamen
simple is best; less is more
meaning; point (e.g. of a statement); gist; goal; intent; object
to liken to; to compare to; to pattern after; to model after; to imitate