buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum); soba; Japanese buckwheat noodles; Chinese-style wheat noodles
Inari (god of harvests, Uka-no-Mitama); Inari shrine; Fushimi Inari shrine (in Kyoto); fox (said to be messengers of Inari); fried tofu (said to be a favourite food of foxes); inarizushi
increase in amount; increase in quantity; increase in volume
to slurp; to sip (loudly); to sniffle; to sniff
to talk; to carry meaning
monks who practise austerity to the point of death and mummification
to curl oneself up; to squeeze oneself in; to be huddled
to blow fiercely; to rage; (arch.) to play (a flute, etc.) for fun
early; soon; quickly; swiftly; rapidly
old tale; folk tale; legend; reminiscence
ticktock; chinking (e.g. of a hammer against rock); knocking; dry and hard; (frozen) stiff; hidebound
to warm oneself; to sun oneself; to warm up; to get warm
to stick out too much; to protrude too far; to be too strong (e.g. of tea); to be too forward; to be too assertive; to be pushy
obi (kimono sash); obi (strip of paper looped around a book, CD, etc. containing information about the product); band; belt; cingulum; radio or television program broadcast in the same time slot on all or most days
pin (e.g. hairpin, safety pin); (bowling) pin; pin; flagstick; (a) one (on dice or Japanese playing cards); first; top
granny; grandma; gran; old lady; old woman
strut; short vertical post; thickness (of a book minus the cover, a sheaf of paper, etc.); (arch.) handbreadth; (arch.) bundle
natto bacteria (Bacillus subtilis var. natto)
careless (with something, esp. time, money, promises, etc.); lax; loose-fitting; relaxed-fit; laid-back (e.g. beat, rhythm); easygoing (e.g. atmosphere)
to be main; to be principal; to be important
colour; color; hue; tints
to take notice (of); to pay attention (to)
grey moustache; gray mustache; white beard
main performer; star performer; headliner; rakugo storyteller of the highest rank
naughty; mischievous; unruly
serving (of food); helping; chilled soba served on a dish (often on a wicker basket or in a shallow steaming basket) with dipping sauce
American black bear (Ursus americanus)
this world; this life; current epoch (i.e. the Holocene epoch)
poverty; penury; need; shortage; lack; want
indescribable; having no way to express
to emit; to spout; to spurt; to boil over
to flick off; to give (someone) the flick; to send (something) flying; to hit (a person); to knock down
(waiting) impatiently; (spending) many a weary day; each moment seeming like an eternity
to blow off (strongly); to blow away; to drive away (e.g. one's worries); to dispel; to do at great speed (e.g. drive a car); to carry out (a task) very quickly