Vocabulary

wise person; sage

stencil (for a mimeograph)

motor

solemn (ceremony, atmosphere, etc.); austere; grave; majestic; dignified; stately

cutting down on food intake; reducing rations; reducing allowance of food

afterword; postscript

meeting place; seats for the public

liberation from earthly desires and the woes of man; deliverance of one's soul; moksha; mukti; vimukti

gliding (through the air)

pulley; block; tackle

pardon; forgiveness; forbearance

temple solicitation

interest; fun; inspiration

warm welcome; friendly reception; hospitality; entertainment

sweet words; smooth talk; cajolery; flattery; sycophancy

sweet vinegar

great love of books

bad boy; naughty child; brat

nigirizushi; hand-pressed vinegared rice topped with seafood

loss

to pin (someone) down; to hold down; to immobilize; to immobilise

raid; attack; assault

preliminary investigation; preliminary inquiry

unprolific (writer, artist, etc.)

(waka) poetic sentiment; waka-composing mood; solid grounding in waka; meaning of a waka poem

brazier; hibachi

red-light district; pleasure quarters; world of the geisha; demimonde

chilly spring weather

art of drawing and painting

A Happy New Year!

back row; last row; rearmost row

chopped fish, shellfish or vegetables, dressed with (miso or other) sauce

to rank with; to rank among

safety pin

anion

family doctor; family physician; general practitioner; GP

local public body

one's best form

evergreen (glossy-leaved) forest

exiting a room