suburb; residential area on the outskirt of a city; commuter belt
dramatic (improvement); remarkable (difference); marked; (far) better; exceptional
drawing ability; skill at art
to be shy; to be bashful; to feel awkward; to feel embarrassed
naturally; of course; understandably
not necessarily; not entirely; not altogether
okonomiyaki; savoury pancake containing meat or seafood and vegetables
working adult; full-fledged member of society
real estate company; real estate firm; property firm
to work (for); to be employed (at); to serve (as); to act (as); to conduct a religious service
office worker; company employee; company man; salaryman (stereotypical Japanese office worker)
prior; beforehand; in advance; before the fact; ex ante
to hear; to hear by chance; to hear by accident; to catch (the sound)
to break into a smile; to smile broadly; to beam
to be used up; to be run out; to be exhausted; to be consumed; to come to an end
wall of rock; rock cliff; rock face
to rise (steeply); to tower; to soar
to bewitch; to confuse; to enchant; to delude
to part (usu. of people); to part from; to separate (of a couple); to break up; to lose (e.g. one's mother); to be bereaved
one-man (show, team, etc.); tyrant; dictatorial person; conductorless bus (i.e. having only a driver); conductorless train
closing up shop (for the day); stopping business; going out of business
vacant house; unoccupied house
bulletin board; notice board; billboard; roadside sign; sign on a post, usu. wooden, esp. containing information about a sight, warning, congratulations, etc.
lock; padlock; tablet; lozenge; pill
to exchange; to swap; to barter; to replace; to substitute
wooden house; woodframe house
to demolish; to tear down; to pull down
excuse me for disturbing (interrupting) you; greeting used when entering someone's home
to close up; to shut up (e.g. behind doors); to cut off (e.g. because a deadline has expired); to close off (e.g. subscription list)
stinking; smelly; suspicious; fishy; clumsy; unskilled
keepsake; memorabilia; memento
even if; even though; even; too; whether ... or ...; no matter (what, where, who, etc.)
looking for a particular person or thing; searching high and low; hunting for; picking out; singling out
among these; between these; of these; in here; in this
being at sea; losing one's bearings; (arch.) disorientation upon waking at night; (arch.) forgetting which house or room to enter
meek; quiet; docile; mysterious; marvelous; marvellous
without omission; in full
to be photographed; to be projected
to open the lid; to lift a lid; to open the lid (on); to make public; to start (something); to look at the results (consequences, outcome, effect)
in addition; furthermore; above (which); on top of (which)
brown envelope; manila envelope
memory; sense; experience
going; travelling; act; action; bank; counter for banks; counter for groups or parties of people