saffron cod (Eleginus gracilis)
Okinawan lion (or lion dog) statue placed as talisman against evil at entrances and on roofs
Okinawa (city, prefecture)
ornament; decorative object; object placed in a tokonoma; figurehead; leader without real power
kappa; mythical water-dwelling creature; excellent swimmer; cucumber; cucumber sushi wrapped in nori (seaweed)
shell (of crab, tortoise, etc.); carapace; person's back; years of experience
calvaria; area at top of head; parietal
baldness; bald head; bald person; baldy; idiot; moron
itinerant Buddhist monk; practitioner of Shugendō
Japanese clothing; being dressed in a kimono; Japanese-style bookbinding
tummy; tumtum; bang-bang; pop-pop; without reservation; unreservedly
to get conceited; to become vain; to get stuck up; to get a swollen head; (lit.) to become a tengu
tiger pattern; striped (like a tiger)
to compare (something) to; to liken; to speak figuratively; to use a simile; to use a metaphor
above the clouds; heaven; the Imperial Court; something unreachable; place of out of reach
navel; belly button; protrusion or depression in the middle of an object; center; centre
making something strong even stronger; solidifying something's chances; (lit.) (giving) a metal rod to an ogre
thorn; spine; splinter (esp. lodged in one's flesh); hard sharp item (esp. lodged in one's throat, e.g. fish bone); biting words
floating ball of fire (said to be the soul of a dead person); meteor; shooting star
Kyūshū (southernmost of the four main islands of Japan)
fire of suspicious origin; suspected arson; mysterious fire; will-o'-the-wisp
to sew; to stitch; to weave one's way (e.g. through a crowd)
Yama; judge of the afterlife
Yama (king of the world of the dead, who judges the dead); Emma; Yan; Yomna
the way there; outbound leg; bound for ...; outbound ticket
finely chiseled (features)
eyetooth; cuspid; canine (tooth); dogtooth
sitting cross-legged (i.e. Indian style)
shaku; flat wooden or ivory baton carried in the right hand when in ceremonial imperial or Shinto garb
yuki-onna (spirit in Japanese folklore); snow woman
snowy mountain; permanently snow-covered mountain; pile of snow; Himalayas
death from cold; freezing to death
mythical two-tailed monster cat
Daidarabotchi (mythical giant)
brat; kid; urchin; preta; hungry ghost
brat; kid; urchin; preta; hungry ghost
starvation; famine; hunger
to cling to; to hold on to; to grapple; to set about doing; to begin; to take hold of
the dead; ghost; person who is obsessed (with money, power, etc.); person with a blind lust (for)
a little; a bit; just a minute; for a moment; somewhat; rather; (not) easily
namahage; folklore demon of the Oga Peninsula (people dress up as them on New Year's Eve to admonish children)