dramatic decrease; sharp drop; sudden fall
pitiful; heartbreaking; heartrending; touching; tragic; sad
high class; esteemed; cherished
not having enough workers; being understaffed; being undermanned; having nothing one can do about something; having no options
to put one's hand on; to touch
existence; possession; having; limited company
inviting another to one's home, office, etc.; (lit.) the trouble of coming (going)
to slip through; to slip past; to evade
to have one's attention attracted (caught); to be preoccupied with
to look back on (the past); to reflect on; to look behind (at); to turn round (and look); to consider; to concern oneself about
everywhere; all over; throughout
to assume an aspect; to take on an appearance
blackish; darkish; dark; dusky
accompanying; travelling together; traveling together; same bank
handrail; railing; banister
at once; immediately; without delay; promptly
quarter; a fourth; square (piece of) cloth
farmer; peasant; farming; the common people
dark; not understood; unknown
heavenly king; Gozu Tenno (deity said to be the Indian god Gavagriva)
woman's hairstyle (Edo period) (made popular by a Yoshiwara prostitute called Katsuyama)
to cross over (e.g. mountain); to go across; to get over (e.g. hardship); to pass time (e.g. a winter); to surpass; to be better than; to move house
not only ... (but also); not merely; as well as; furthermore; besides; moreover
correction (of fault, defect, flaw, etc.); remedy; rectification; redress; reform
to be helpful; to help; to be of assistance; to come in handy
place near the mountains; hilly section of a city (e.g. Tokyo, Kobe, Yokohama)
coming and going; keeping in touch; visiting each other; street traffic; highway
to probe; to search; to sound out; to investigate
land route; overland route; by land; overland
waterway; canal; channel; swimming pool lane
to plan one's next moves; to work out a plan
to stop talking; to break off; to pause
military force; force of arms; strength of an army
to store; to save up; to accumulate (e.g. knowledge); to build up (e.g. experience); to grow (a beard, moustache, etc.); to wear
obstruction; check; hindrance; prevention; impediment; interdiction
to build a market for; to promote (a product); to promote oneself; to sell oneself; to sell heavily
decisively; decidedly; boldly; precisely; exactly
privacy; secrecy; confidentiality
distant (from someone); aloof; estranged; knowing little (of); ill-informed (about); ignorant (of)