Vocabulary

one's days and nights being reversed

being bold; daring; plucky; having a lot of guts; being quite nerveless

two steps forward, one step back

comedian who plays a lover's part; man who is both handsome and fun

banner clouds in layers

multilayered

the large number of bridges over canals and rivers in Naniwa (present-day Osaka)

the large number of temples in Kyoto; 808 temples

the long night of spiritual darkness

both labor and management; both the workers and the employers

fill-in (in magazines, newspapers, etc.); (space) filler

epic; heroic tale

ballade

ballad

green leaves

kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala)

cabbage

kohlrabi

Brussels sprout

I don't know about ... but; it may be possible for ... but

can never be able to

to split; to be split; to splinter; to chip; to be sliced (off); to be scraped (off)

hollow-cheeked

(it) goes without saying; needn't be said

to make a leap into the dark; to take the plunge; to jump in at the deep end; to jump off the veranda of the Kiyomizu temple

access lanes (e.g. on a freeway); service road; bypass

to excel at; to be proficient at

to put all one's skill (into doing something); to do something to the best of one's ability

to ask for money; to put the touch on someone

request for money; touch

skimming (a book, etc.)

box culvert

underwater tunnel construction by sinking prefabricated box culverts

real hair; one's own hair

to pilfer; to filch; to swipe

to swindle out of; to cheat out of; to defraud of

bored; having nothing to do; idle

bent back; prone posture

lacking in prudence; lacking in judgement

somehow; somewhat; seemingly