Vocabulary

simple and clear; plain and lucid

charms of a uniquely beautiful woman; great beauty; (so beautiful that) the moon hides and flowers are abashed

vast stretch of desert; vast expanse of sandy plain

instruction in martial arts

commonplace and stale; humdrum and hackneyed

plain and lucid; articulate

house arrest; being placed in confinement at home

blue eyes and red hair; Westerner

at the outset; at the very beginning; in the first place; to begin (start) with; first and foremost

commuter marriage

being protean and elusive; appear and disappear like a phantom

obsession with changing one's appearance; desire to change

freely adaptable, very flexible, nimble in adaptation

bringing one's own lunch

apologetic (defensive) tone of voice

incomparably ruthless; diabolical

preventive measure

obstructive tactics; harassing tactics

being jealous of things that have nothing to do with one; being jealous of others who are in love with each other

adventure lover

impoverishment of farmers because of a bumper harvest; decline in farmers' income caused by the sharply lower farm prices as a result of bumper harvests

impoverishment of farmers because of a bumper harvest; decline in farmers' income caused by the sharply lower farm prices as a result of bumper harvests

being well fed and warmly clothed

being in abstraction; being dazed; being absentminded; stargazing

(over) a great distance; (a long journey (flight, voyage)) to (from) a faraway place

(with) unkempt hair and dirty face; being indifferent to one's personal appearance

fast living; dissipated life; riotous life

bubble boom; ephemeral boom

(leading) a vagabond life; (leading) a wandering existence

(committing, resorting to) an act of violence

violent means

exterminatory measure; eradication campaign

fickle friendship

realization of a great ambition; attainment of one's most cherished desire; one's earnest prayer being answered

being up to the person himself

possessing worldly desires and passions

free and uncontrolled; behaving with abandon; freewheeling; totally uninhibited

ordinary and ignorant; mediocre and stupid

recognition and guarantee, by the shogunate, of ownership of the inherited estate of a samurai who pledged allegiance to it (in the Kamakura and early Muromachi periods)

things happening exactly as one pleases (wishes); someone being very attentive to one's wishes