shiitake mushroom (Lentinula edodes); shitake
uchiwa; type of traditional Japanese handheld fan
flapping (of a flag, fan, etc.); fluttering; pitter-patter (of footsteps); quickly (making progress); in quick succession
unskillful; childish; immature; naive; artless; clumsy
upper part; upper stream; upper course of a river; right side of the stage (audience's or camera's POV); stage left (actor's POV); skillful (in comparisons)
citizenship; civic rights; civil rights; widespread acceptance; social recognition; common use
upskilling; improving one's skills
spit; skewer; proxy (computer server)
Buddhist memorial service
welcoming fire for returning spirits (on the first night of the Bon festival)
crow (Corvus spp.); raven
(in) secrecy; behind closed doors
(level of) comfort (in the place one lives)
to flub (one's lines); to be flustered; to be confused; to bungle; to mess up
to get damaged; to get chipped; to be wounded; to get injured; to get hurt (reputation)
on the contrary; rather; instead; all the more
grounding (in a skill or subject); knowledge; training; achievements; attainments; accomplishments
one's father; one's old man; middle-aged (or older) man; old man; one's boss; proprietor (of a restaurant, store, etc.)
aloneness; loneliness; solitude
Niigata (city, prefecture)
(someone else's) parents; both parents
named after; associated with; connected with
independence from parents
having various interests; wide range of interests
individual; distinctive; unique; characteristic; personal; idiosyncratic
to look (stare) back at (someone); to look at again; to re-examine; to prove oneself superior (to someone who had previously been condescending); to put a person to shame; to look back (behind oneself)
to mellow (e.g. personality); to be rounded; to huddle; to cower
overconfident; presumptuous
shrieking; squealing; screeching; chattering (e.g. of a monkey); chittering
being empty-handed; being penniless; having no capital (for starting a business)
homecoming; return to one's home
display and sale of new products
visiting multiple hot springs; onsen tour
to begin a trip; to depart; to embark; to die; to pass away; to depart this life
to often be the case; to occur frequently; to be common; to be popular
(town) market; (street) market; marketplace