noun:

• pacifist constitution (often applied to the Japanese constitution); constitution which outlaws use of arms ➜ 日本国憲法

noun:

• the start of a climb up a hill

noun:

• mattress; mattress pad (under a futon)

noun:

• master; head of household; man of the house; principal supporter of a temple

expression:

• A single seed can eventually produce a great harvest; Even the smallest beginning can generate a greatest profit; Watch the pennies, and the pounds will look after themselves - four character idiom

noun:

• water offered to God; water drunk before an altar to symbolize the making of a vow
• miracle-working water
• water which gathers in the nodes of bamboo after falling as rain at noon on the 5th day of the 5th month (lunar calendar), thought to be effective when used in medicines

noun:

• Certificate for Students Achieving the Proficiency Level of Upper Secondary School Graduates; Japanese high-school equivalency examination

noun:

• Certificate for Students Achieving the Proficiency Level of Upper Secondary School Graduates; Japanese high-school equivalency examination - abbreviation ➜ 高等学校卒業程度認定試験

noun:

• Certificate for Students Achieving the Proficiency Level of Upper Secondary School Graduates; Japanese high-school equivalency examination - abbreviation ➜ 高校卒業程度認定試験

noun:

• steward in charge of the affairs of nobles of the third rank and higher (from the middle of the Heian period)
• administrative position (Kamakura and Muromachi periods) ➜ 政所

noun / ~の noun:

• in the mountains; within the grounds of a temple

noun:

• the edge at the very tip of a sword

noun:

• the part of a province closest to the capital - archaism ➜ 道の後・道の中

noun:

• the part of a province midway from the capital - archaism ➜ 道の口・道の後

noun:

• square (shape) ［ますがた］
• square bearing block (at the top of a pillar) ［斗形］
• (in a castle) rectangular space between the inner and outer gates (where troops can gather) ［ますがた］

particle:

• used to create a form of question indicating that the speaker actually believes the opposite is true; emphasizes a determination not to do something, e.g. "Like hell I will!" - male language

noun:

• survival of the fittest; the law of the jungle; the weak are meat the strong do eat [literal] - four character idiom

expression / godan ~す verb:

• to attend a meeting; to have the honor of being present at a meeting; to soil the lowest seat by one's presence [literal] - humble language

suffix noun:

• little less than; fewer than; under ➜ 小【こ】

noun:

• weakness; the weak

expression / ichidan verb:

• to tighten the reins; to bring (someone) under control

noun:

• putting on a knowing air when one only knows the title of the book (play, etc.); pretending to understand the nature of something when one only knows its name - four character idiom

noun:

• arm glove; arm warmer; sleevelet
• bracelet
• leather thread on guard or pommel of a sword
• hole in the butt end of a Chinese spear

noun:

• Rikkokushi; the six ancient Japanese historical collections compiled between the Nara and Heian periods

noun:

• opening section of a Chinese poem or essay (in which the topic is broached); broaching the topic of a poem or essay in its opening lines

expression / ichidan verb:

• to be lonely at the top; to be left high and dry by one's friends; to have the ladder pulled out from under one [literal]