rural area; countryside; the sticks; hometown
convenience for transportation; convenience of access (by road or rail)
to explain; to advocate; to preach; to persuade
north-east; Tōhoku (northernmost six prefectures of Honshu); Tohoku
back country; remote countryside
old-fashioned; ancient-looking; time-worn
sad; wretched; deplorable
unpleasant; disagreeable; abominable; unlucky; inauspicious; ominous
to emit a voice; to emit a sound; to be able to speak
favorite (to win); favourite; likely winner; one's heart's desire; first choice
guilty (feeling, conscience, look, etc.); (feeling) uneasy
stallion brought close to a mare to test her readiness to mate; stalking horse; spoiler
(doing) various things; (doing) this and that; being apt to; being prone to; at any rate; anyhow
face; honour; honor; appearance; look
accepting; consenting; agreeing; submission; compliance; agreement
work-to-rule; go-slow strike; slowdown; being idle; slackening; being truant
in one's lifetime; (while) in life
to afflict; to torment; to harass; to molest
dynasty; reign; period; epoch; court; North Korea
right in front; just opposite; under the nose
cheap; rash; thoughtless; careless
economic; financial; economical; thrifty; frugal
whole area; whole region; stretch (of land); tract; belt
expansion; extension; enlargement; escape; ESC
Qing dynasty (China, 1644-1912); Ch'ing dynasty; Manchu dynasty
hard to reach place; remote place
rice plant (Oryza sativa)
Yamashiro (former province located in the south of present-day Kyoto Prefecture)