mid-January festival in northern Japan, with snow huts in which children play house; snow hut
cushion; cushion (to soften the blow); mitigation
twofold and threefold; doubled and redoubled
futon; Japanese bedding consisting of a mattress and a duvet; round cushion used for Zen meditation (traditionally made of woven bulrush leaves)
(afternoon) nap; sleeping during the day; siesta
to mellow (e.g. personality); to be rounded; to huddle; to cower
warp; curvature; bend; curve (of a sword)
eye; eyeball; (arch.) pupil and (dark) iris of the eye; (arch.) insight; (arch.) perceptivity; (arch.) look
design; idea; conception; plan
to cut (cloth, paper, etc.); to cut off; to sever (ties); to break off (relations); to cut off (a supply route, enemy's retreat, etc.); to block
nodding (in agreement, with approval, etc.); repeatedly nodding and dozing off; suddenly (dying); deep (flavor, flavour, color, colour, etc.); rich
to exclude (someone); to shun; to ignore; to leave out; to ostracize
ice; ice cream; ice pop; ice lolly; cold; iced (e.g. iced tea, iced coffee); ice (stimulant drug)
tenacious; persistent; stubborn; vindictive; spiteful; vengeful
woven mat (of sedge, hay, etc.)
shrill whistling sound; reddening or brightening slightly; rush of blood to the head
nature (of a person); disposition; temperament; quality; inherent characteristic; property
toy shop; toy store; toy dealer; toy seller
display window; shop window; store window
towering; astonishingly high
amorous; sexy; voluptuous; erotic
colouring; coloring; sex appeal (esp. of women); sexiness; interest in the opposite sex; sexual feelings; charm
so; therefore; and; (and) then
to break the silence; to break one's silence
consultation; discussion; discussing; asking (someone) for advice
my husband; one's family; family member
tourism industry; tourist industry
gifted education; special education for gifted children
biological parent; real parent
to put to use; to make good use of; to exploit
from long ago; from old times; from time immemorial
undulation; ups and downs; highs and lows
to load (a gun, etc.); to charge; to put into (e.g. emotion, effort); to include (e.g. tax in a sales price); to hang over; to shroud
appearance; shape; form; atmosphere; look; feel
complete; whole; perfect; safe
becoming a pupil (of); becoming an apprentice
to curry favour; to butter up; to fawn over; to humour someone (humor); to put in a good mood (e.g. a baby)
laying the groundwork; behind-the-scenes maneuvering; consensus-building process; digging around the roots of a tree (before transplanting)
artificiality; pretence; contrived act; commission (of a crime); feasance
monitoring; watching; observation; surveillance; guarding; supervision
suddenly; abruptly; slowly; without haste; calmly