noun:

• last day of winter in the traditional Japanese calendar (usually February 3 or 4); holiday for end of winter (accompanied by a bean scattering ceremony)
• last day of any season (according to the traditional Japanese calendar) - original meaning

noun:

• ritual performance (usually around New Year) to pray for a successful rice harvest in the coming year - Shintō term

noun:

• stable period (with ref. to pregnancy, typically from 4th month when the placenta is fully formed, morning sickness usually goes away and risk of miscarriage decreases)

noun:

• person in charge of preparing food for rikishi (usually performed by low-ranking rikishi) - Sumo term

noun:

• creating a (usually favorable) environment

noun:

• synthetic fiber thread (usually nylon) typically used for stringing beads ➜ 天蚕糸

noun:

• tea container (usually for thick tea used at the tea ceremony)

noun:

• video containing a slideshow of still images (usually of women) - From English "image video"

noun:

• geisha belonging to a call-office (usually a skilled geisha) ➜ 検番

noun:

• human chain (chain of people holding hands, usually in protest)

noun:

• Triad (secret Chinese society usually associated with organized crime) ➜ 会党

noun:

• DVD containing a slideshow of still images (usually of women) - From English "image DVD"

expression:

• room to breathe (usually in the negative as "no room to breathe") ➜ 立錐の余地もない

noun:

• campfire (usually large, and for gathering and singing, etc. around)

noun:

• southern Tohoku (usually Miyagi, Yamagata and Fukushima prefectures)

noun:

• northern Tohoku (usually Aomori, Iwate and Akita prefectures)

noun:

• wild ball (usually a pitcher with poor control) - Baseball term

noun:

• round plaque carrying the image of a Buddha (usually hammered from behind) used in temples and shrines

expression:

• (to be pushed) toward the middle (of a crowd) (usually against your will)

noun:

• low entrance (usually, but not always, to a teahouse) with a tiled archway overhead

noun:

• hu (ancient Chinese vessel shaped like a vase, usually used to store alcohol)

noun:

• collective goods (i.e. goods or services such as parks, highways, etc. which could be supplied privately, but are usually provided by the government) ➜ 公共財

noun:

• one group comprising the lowest rank of Japan's Edo-period caste system (people whose work usually involved handling human bodies or animal carcasses) - vulgar ➜ 被差別部落民

noun:

• jujitsu (classical Japanese martial art, usually referring to fighting without a weapon); jiujitsu; jujutsu

noun:

• male who likes comics depicting male homosexual love (usually targeted to women) ➜ ボーイズラブ・腐女子