centralized authoritarian rule; centralised authoritarian rule
middle way; (golden) mean; moderation; the Doctrine of the Mean (one of the Four Books)
clarification; definition
in company; among people; philtrum
division; section; demarcation; (traffic) lane; compartment; classification
skilled control of a spear; stabbing (someone) with a spear; victim; scapegoat; someone singled out (for punishment, etc.)
habit; behavior; behaviour; trait
stripping (of rights, rank, etc.); deprivation; forfeit; revocation; divestiture
rapid economic growth (esp. that of Japan in the post-WWII period)
tranquil; calm; restful; peaceful; quiet
the fate of a nation; life-or-death (situation) for a nation; national crisis
out of control; out of hand; unmanageable; nothing one can do
(following) a pragmatic (policy) line (approach)
perfection; thoroughness; consummation
to succeed in doing; to see through; to manage to do; to finish doing
to wound; to injure; to hurt someone's feelings (pride, etc.); to damage; to chip
to disdain; to look down on; to make light of; to hold in contempt; to scorn; to despise
decisive; resolute; drastic
counter-proposal; counter-suggestion
tepid water; lukewarm water; comfortable; easy; relaxed
senility; dotage; decrepitude
to become ...-ish; to appear like ...; to have a touch of ...; to become stained with ...; to become steeped with ...; to become smeared with ...
to the left (in location); left of center (politically); left-leaning; tending to the left
daydream; waking dream; fantasy
enough is enough; no further!
running alone; running solo; having a large lead (over the others); being far ahead (of everyone else); having one's own way; ignoring others' opinions and acting as one wishes
point at issue; axis of a conflict; focus of confrontation
to inquire (about); to enquire; to ask; to interrogate; to question intensely; to grill (someone about something)
traffic; transportation; communication; exchange (of ideas, etc.); intercourse
concatenation; cascade (connection)
to seek a path; to find one's way
vitality; energy; dynamism
public works; public-works projects; public utilities
railroad network; railroad system
transportation network; transport network; traffic network
overconcentration (esp. of population, cultural and political institutions, etc. in Tokyo); heavy concentration
road network; highway network; highway network system
country; territory; domain; realm
being able to hear something (clearly); clearness of a sound; reputation; renown; impression (that something gives off); respectability
cutting a person down (without a second thought); sacrificing; throwing to the wolves; omission; rounding down (e.g. fractions); truncation
independence; self-reliance
central part; heart (of a city, etc.)