major cleanup; spring cleaning
training; education; stocking up; laying in; preparation (e.g. ingredients); girl studying to become a geisha
New Year (esp. first three days); first month of the year; January
to meet; to encounter; to see; to have an accident; to have a bad experience
end; conclusion; last; final; once ...; the moment ... (, that's it)
one day; all day (long); the whole day; first day of the month
soba noodles eaten at night on New Year's Eve
to get dark; to grow dark; to end (of a day, year, season, etc.); to come to an end; to be sunk in (e.g. despair); to be lost in (e.g. thought)
previous day; day before; eve; prior day; preceding day
to deliver; to forward; to send; to report; to notify; to file notice (to the authorities)
jūbako; multi-tiered food box
just past noon; afternoon
to take a picture; to take a photo
eating with one's fingers; snitching food; snatched food; embezzlement; misappropriation; flirting
to scold; to chide; to rebuke; to reprimand
the New Year begins; the New Year starts; to end (e.g. apprenticeship, service)
(woman's) undersash; datemaki; rolled omelette mixed with fish paste (omelet)
best; supreme; wonderful; highest; maximum; most
established practice; custom
to take along; to hold in the hand; to hang (e.g. from the shoulder or waist)
to pedal a bicycle; to ride a bicycle; to cycle; to bike
wind; breeze; manner; behaviour; cold; influenza
buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum); soba; Japanese buckwheat noodles; Chinese-style wheat noodles
to get warm; to become warm
about; roughly; generally; on the whole; completely; quite
place; position; location; position; standing; status
contacting; (making) contact; connection (with a train, bus, etc.); joining (a railway line, etc.); connection (between matters, incidents, etc.); relation
pushy; pushing; self-assertive
commuting to school; school commute
tough; hard; determined; strong-minded; strong (e.g. sunlight, alcohol); severe
visiting a shrine on New Year's Eve and staying there until (or returning on) New Year's Day
to ascend (as a natural process, e.g. the Sun); to rise; to be promoted
to row; to paddle; to pedal (a bicycle, etc.); to swing (on a swing); to work (a hand pump); to push through (a thicket, deep snow, etc.)
chain (bicycle, measuring, tire, etc.); chain (store, hotel, etc.)
easily (reach, exceed, etc.); comfortably; amply; fully; well over
metre (unit of length); meter; meter; gauge
left; left-hand side; left hand; the left (wing); leftist; fondness for alcohol
to (finally) arrive at; to reach (at last); to (manage to) get to; to find one's way to
perception; intuition; the sixth sense
half; 50%; 5 parts; 5%; equality; equal footing
Japanese-style (esp. in reference to squat toilets)