close friend; bosom friend; buddy; crony; chum
to call out to; to hail; to address; to appeal
stairs; stairway; staircase
to ascend; to go up; to ascend (as a natural process, e.g. the Sun); to rise; to go to (the capital); to be promoted; to add up to
surprise; astonishment; wonder; amazement
dream within a dream; (beyond) one's wildest dreams; entirely unrealizable dream; pie in the sky
about when; about what time; how soon
one o'clock; once; at one time; for a time; for a while; a time
by all rights; properly speaking; legally speaking
early; a little earlier than usual; a little faster than usual; slightly quicker
all kinds of things; various things; large number of people
to empty; to remove; to move out; to clear out; to be away from (e.g. one's house); to leave (temporarily); to dawn
average (normal, ordinary) year; every year; annually
August; eighth month of the lunar calendar
O-Bon; Obon; Bon Festival; tray
homecoming; returning home
tray; family; household; O-Bon; Bon Festival; gambler's den
to hold between (e.g. one's fingers, chopsticks); to grip (from both sides); to put between; to sandwich between; to catch (e.g. a finger in a door); to trap; to insert (e.g. a break into proceedings)
how long; how far; how much
home area; home town; local
at present; currently; so far; for now; for the time being
family; members of a family
minimum; at the very least
to play (games, sports); to enjoy oneself; to mess about (with alcohol, gambling, philandery, etc.); to be idle; to do nothing; to meet up (with friends); to hang out
schedule; program; programme; agenda
to take someone (to some place); to take someone along; to lead someone away
proposal; proposition; suggestion
at work; in the midst of work; working
to be prolonged; to drag on
(idle) curiosity; fancifulness; whimsy; (having) strange tastes
grace (of God); benevolence (of Buddha); assistance; help; effects; influence
first (of all); firstly; probably; most likely; more or less (satisfactory); on the whole
daughter; girl (i.e. a young, unmarried woman)
taking advantage of (a convenient situation)
magnification; enlargement; expansion; amplification
greeting; a fine thing to say