Vocabulary

(starting) from nothing; from scratch

before one could; in no time at all; without a gap

unbeatable; invincible; irresistible

to pout

feigning illness; pretending to be ill

who cares?; see if I care; who knows?; how should I know?

seeming to have a problem, issue, etc.

making the strong even stronger; (giving) wings to a tiger

choosing a husband

choosing a wife

to experience chest pain; to have a pain in one's chest

to feel relieved; to feel satisfied; to feel refreshed

to bring to an end; to close the curtain

privacy of communications

privacy of correspondence

not agreeing with one (of an environment, lifestyle, etc.); not suiting one; not feeling comfortable (in); not getting along (with); the water does not agree with one

khat tree (Catha edulis); qat tree

to straighten up; to sit upright

to come to an end; to close the curtain

at any rate; anyhow; anyway; in any case; because

to be reasonable; to stand to reason; to be logical; to hold water

hour bell

Owara-Kaze-no-Bon Festival (Toyama)

even

long sword with birds' heads carved on the pommel

dense; dim; dull-witted; unsympathetic; slow to understand; slow on the uptake

no sooner than; as soon as; immediately after

Mariko Aoki phenomenon; phenomenon of feeling an urge to defecate when stepping inside a bookstore

to pulsate; to throb

Fujiwara no Nakamaro Rebellion (764 CE)

to frown; to squint

to draw a line (between); to make a distinction (between); to distinguish (between)

remote; out-of-the-way

remote; out-of-the-way

to be unable to stand; to be weak in the knees; to be paralyzed (e.g. with fear) (paralysed); to be dumbfounded

to take credit for

Battle of Anegawa (1570)

elephant cage; Wullenweber antenna; large circular antenna array used for radio direction finding

to wrestle with; to contest an issue

to combine parts of two different things into a new thing; to compromise; to balance out