Vocabulary

very reasonable; being perfectly consistent with reason; standing to reason

being somewhat puzzled; looking somewhat baffled

times and situations; the course of events of the times; a turn of Fortune's wheel

not letting oneself puffed up by one's success; maintaining a serene state of mind when one has achieved a great success

one's field of expertise; one's strong area

using mind, mouth and eyes to understand a book fully

winter, night, and rainy weather; the ideal conditions for reading

repeated reading (makes the meaning clear); reading something again and again (will lead one to realize its meaning)

uprising demanding debt cancellation orders (Muromachi period)

scoop reporter; scoop artist

independence and self-reliance

feeling a little drunk with the New Year's sake

festive New Year's mood

rush work; crash program; working on a crash basis; working at top speed

sudden and dramatic event (incident); sudden and strange phenomenon

dilettantish business; amateurish business

amateurish way of doing business

complete collapse; (something) going to pieces (breaking up beyond repair)

feeling like friends; the feeling of friendship

making strenuous efforts; exerting oneself

servile character (disposition)

professional thievery

living in seclusion; retired from the world

low-class kabuki theater; low-class play

low-class actor (kabuki); actor who plays in low-class or cheap theater

de facto marriage; common-law marriage; living together as husband and wife without formal marriage

things being very eventful at home and abroad

work-at-home scheme (scam in which the offer of a highly paid work-at-home job is used to lure victims into paying substantial upfront costs)

internal maneuvering; secret maneuvering (within an organization); reconciling the various views within an organization before airing something in public

internal strife; internal struggle

inside job

one's world within; one's inner world

there's no point in staying (here) any longer; there's no point in prolonging a (the) visit; there's no point in extending one's stay

quarrel among friends; quarrel among ourselves (themselves)

chief actor in a kabuki play; star actor; leading actors of a troupe

of the old feeling of naniwa-bushi; marked by the dual themes of obligation and compassion that distinguish the naniwa-bushi ballads

lingering recession; an economy that lingers in the doldrums after bottoming out

Homage to the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma and Sangha)

the ostentation (bad taste) of the nouveau riche; air of vulgar prosperity

Narita divorce; divorce of a newlywed couple upon returning (to Narita Airport) from their honeymoon abroad