polish; improvement; burnishing
making; producing; appearance (attire, make-up, etc.); build; physique; sashimi
to stretch around (e.g. a fence, dragnet, etc.); to lay out (e.g. a wiring system, network, etc.); to string up (e.g. an antenna, ship's rigging, etc.)
floor; stage (for the narrator and the shamisen player); dining platform built across a river
to sink; to go under; to go down (e.g. sun); to set; to feel depressed; to become subdued
red; crimson; red-containing colour (e.g. brown, pink, orange); Red (i.e. communist); red light (traffic); red ink (i.e. in finance or proof-reading); (in) the red
dots; spots; bit by bit; little by little; here and there; scattered
island; one's territory (e.g. of a sex worker, organized crime gang); one's turf
to float; to become merry; to be cheerful; to become loose; to become unsteady; to feel out of it; to be cut off (e.g. from those around you)
past middle age; nearing old age; near-elderly; age 40
bank employee; bank staff member; bank clerk
leader of a crime syndicate's henchmen; young leading subordinate in yakuza group
hairline; borders of the hair
retreat; falling back; recession; waning; backspace (key)
to comb down; to smooth down
polite; courteous; civil; careful; close; thorough
distant look; faraway look
to lead; to take the initiative; to take precedence (e.g. sadness taking precedence over anger); to be most essential
caller; visitor; company; guest
to remove; to move out of the way
interior design; interior; upholstery
in the same way as; just like
posture; pose; position; attitude; approach; stance
old person; elderly person; trustee of the Japan Sumo Association; retired high-ranking wrestler who is licensed to coach and receives retirement pay; senior statesman (of the Tokugawa shogunate); important local official (under the Tokugawa Shogunate)
iron plate; steel plane; sure thing; certain winner
to urge; to encourage; to press; to stimulate (e.g. growth); to hasten (e.g. development); to quicken
Kanto; region consisting of Tokyo and surrounding prefectures; Kanto; north-eastern half of Japan (during the feudal era)
praise; tribute; inscription (on a painting)
sum; harmony; peace; Japan; Japanese-style
meeting; assembly; party; society; association; club
boss (esp. yakuza); foreman
the Dragon (fifth sign of the Chinese zodiac); hour of the Dragon (around 8am, 7-9am, or 8-10am); east-southeast; third month of the lunar calendar
tree; shrub; bush; wood; timber
to close one's eyes partly; to squint; to smile with one's whole face; to look fondly at
eagle (Accipitridae family)