chapter one; first chapter
home town; birthplace; native place; (arch.) ruins; (arch.) historic remains
April; fourth month in the lunar calendar
for (e.g. "she dances well for an eight-year old"); considering it's (something or someone)
unusual; rare; new; novel; fine (e.g. gift)
warm; mild; considerate; kind; warm (of a colour); mellow
day; days; sun; sunshine; (the) day; daytime; date
right?; isn't it?; hey; say; you know; you see; will you?
today; this day; these days; recently; nowadays
indicates sentence topic; indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated); adds emphasis
Hokkaido (island, prefectural-level administrative unit)
indicates possessive; nominalizes verbs and adjectives; substitutes for "ga" in subordinate phrases; (at sentence-end, falling tone) indicates a confident conclusion; (at sentence-end) indicates emotional emphasis; (at sentence-end, rising tone) indicates question
indicates supposition; if ... then; when; (typically after someone's name) indicates exasperation
(some) more; even more; longer; further
cold (e.g. weather); uninteresting (esp. joke); lame; dull
thing; object; one's things; possessions; things; something; quality
hair; fur; wool; down; plumage
direction; way; side (of an argument, etc.); one's part; type; category; field (of study, etc.)
mountain; hill; mine (e.g. coal mine); heap; pile; crown (of a hat); thread (of a screw)
too; also; both A and B; A as well as B; even; as much as
clearly; plainly; distinctly; to be clear; to be definite; to be certain
to be seen; to be in sight; to look; to seem; to come
pretty; lovely; clean; clear; completely; entirely
at; in; at; when; by; with; and then
good; excellent; sufficient; enough; profitable (deal, business offer, etc.); beneficial
be; is; did; (have) done; please; do
anyway; by the way; incidentally; well; to change the subject
truth; reality; proper; right; genuine; authentic
at (place, time); in; to (direction, state); toward; for (purpose); because of (reason); for
grateful; thankful; welcome; appreciated; evoking gratitude
indicates emotion or admiration; indicates emphasis; I; me; wah!; boo!
to take out; to get out; to put out; to reveal; to submit (e.g. thesis); to turn in; to publish
East Asian age reckoning; traditional system of age reckoning whereby newborns are considered one year old and on New Year's Day one year is added to everyone's age
to become; to get; to result in; to turn out; to consist of; to be composed of; to be completed
the expectation is that ...; the reason is that ...; the fact is that ...; the explanation is that ...; it is that ...
hey; you; hey; hey; hold on; yo
to become stiff (of muscles); to get absorbed in; to develop a passion for; to be elaborate; to be intricate
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)
indicates sentence subject (occasionally object); indicates possessive (esp. in literary expressions); but; however; regardless of; whether (or not)
in this way; thus; such; uh...
to do; to carry out; to cause to become; to make (into); to serve as; to act as; to wear (clothes, a facial expression, etc.)
everyone; everybody; all; everything; all
important; serious; valuable; precious; serious matter; major incident
to take good care of; to treasure; to value; to hold dear; to prize; to cherish