if not ... then what is it?; (this) is nothing other than ...; (it) must be ...; (it) is definitely ...
office worker; company employee; company man; salaryman (stereotypical Japanese office worker)
to banter; to make fun of; to cool; to refrigerate; to window-shop; to look at without buying
with a clash; with a thud; unexpectedly (meeting someone); suddenly (ending); abruptly (coming to a halt)
whole roast (e.g. pig, turkey, etc.)
storm; tempest; uproar; hullabaloo; storm (e.g. of protest)
to put up with; to endure; to bear patiently
birth; creation; formation
without delay; smoothly; without a hitch
stage (theatre, theater); scene or setting (e.g. of novel, play, etc.)
debut; doing something for the first time; starting anew; starting afresh
front stage; center stage (of politics, etc.)
ground levelling (leveling); laying the groundwork; making preparations; roller; road leveller
all members; everybody; regular member
equal; equivalent; equals sign; equality sign; equals (as in "A equals B")
equation; formula; method for solving a problem; set way of achieving a particular result
last night; the previous night; night before (Christmas, etc.); eve (of festival, major event, etc.)
secrecy; highly classified information
heir; heiress; inheritor; successor
acutely (feel); keenly; severely; tightly; hard
both countries; Ryōgoku (area of Tokyo)
suspension bridge; viaduct; temporary bridge; mediation; go-between
temporary; provisional; fictitious; assumed (name); hypothetical; theoretical
to furnish; to install; to get someone's agreement; to patronize; to buy usually from the same store
favorable; favourable; friendly; vividly colored; vividly coloured
fetters; shackles; hobbles; encumbrance; hindrance; burden
to complete decisively; to do to completion
sacrifice; victim; sacrifice (to a deity)
to try and do something; to attempt to do something
direct talks; direct negotiations; talking to somebody in person
(appearance while) in pajamas (pyjamas)
to shrink back; to wince; to flinch; to recoil
just a handful; only a small number (of)
once in a lifetime (opportunity); (a golden opportunity that may) happen only once in a thousand years
to be useful; to be helpful; to serve the purpose
because ...; for ...; the reason being ...; as for ...; when it comes to ...; regarding ...
priority; order of precedence
supplication; appeal; entreaty; petition
in order to do; for the purpose of doing
to be frank; to drop all pretense
planned; scheduled; systematic