Vocabulary

broader-based local government

comfort woman; prostitute who worked in military brothels, esp. one forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military during WWII

women's volunteer corps; groups of young female workers organized on Japanese territory during WWII

snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina)

Halifax Explosion (December 6, 1917)

good thing; strong point

Second Life (online game)

comparing and adjusting; reconciling; knocking into shape; bouncing of ideas, opinions, etc. off each other to obtain a fine-tuned integrated whole

customer one has never met before; first-time customer

boot camp for new recruits (conducted by Japan's Self-Defence Force)

first-time customer (of an inn or a restaurant); chance customer; customer without an introduction from a regular customer

first-time customer (of an inn or a restaurant); chance customer; customer without an introduction from a regular customer

Reserve Officers' Training Corps (US); ROTC

Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare

candidates (in an election) who have won or are projected to be elected

wave erosion

pinhole

pinhole camera

podcasting

webcam

webmaster

digital versatile disc; DVD

flash memory

trackball

liquid crystal display; LCD

cathode-ray tube; CRT

touchpad; trackpad

tablet personal computer (tablet PC)

personal digital assistant; PDA

personal digital assistant; PDA

operating system; OS

operating system; OS

image scanner

USB; universal serial bus

USB flash drive; USB memory stick; thumb drive

factory reset; resetting software, etc. to initial state

office software package; office suite

data format

(software) patch; updater (to correct a program flaw)

Blu-ray Disc; BD