off-shoot; noble (family) sibling
thousand years; thousand generations; thousand ages; eternity
castle (in place names); castle; fortress
daimyo of a feudal domain owned by a Tokugawa family branch
lowest seat; foot of the table; seat furthest from the seat of honour; lowest rank; bottom (e.g. of the class)
if times were better; if one had been born at an earlier, more opportune time; if times had not changed; if I had my due
easily; readily; with ease; without trouble
aristocrat; nobleman; dignitary; person of high rank
family positioned to accede to the shogunate
watching (esp. during an emergency); being on alert; guard; watchmen
extreme (measure, idea, etc.); radical; violent (language); strenuous (exercise, work, etc.); excessive; (physically) demanding
den; haunt; hangout; nest; lair
politician (or someone otherwise engaged in politics); statesman
one's person; around one's person
danger; peril; hazard; risk
martial arts; military arts; Bushido
honor; honour; prestige; dignity; honorary (e.g. president, doctorate)
deep emotion; impression; inspiration
truth; reality; sincerity; honesty; indeed; really
existence; being; presence
few decades; many decades; several decades
authority; power; influence; (an) authority (on); expert
root; source; origin; cause
tatami mat; Japanese straw floor coverings
to rub; to scrub; to repeatedly reuse (a joke, a topic of conversation, etc.); to milk; to mash (a button); to spam (a move)
sidelong glance; short grain (paper); kanji "net" radical at top
tear; tears; lachrymal secretion; sympathy
to spill; to drop; to grumble (about); to complain (of); to let (one's feelings) show
life; living; I; me; student
to lift up; to hold up; to give; to offer; to devote; to sacrifice
favourite book; favorite book
Nihon Gaishi (22-volume history of Japan's samurai clans, written in classical Chinese; 1836)
(political) power; authority; influence
rise and fall; ups and downs
magnificent; grand; majestic; splendid
romance (e.g. Arthurian romances); heroic tale; (nigh) impossible dream; adventurous spirit; (full-length) novel; romance
above anything else; above all; more than anything; best; greatest; excellent
man; male; masculine gender
image; figure; figure; form; image
Northern and Southern Courts (of Japan; 1336-1392); Northern and Southern Dynasties; Northern and Southern Dynasties (of China; 420-589)
in history; ever; historical
time; season; period; phase; stage