declining birth rates; decrease in the number of children
concerning; regarding; per (e.g. 100 yen per person); for every
indicates sentence topic; indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated); adds emphasis
how; in what way; how about
honorific/polite/humble prefix
thinking; thought; idea; notion; intention; plan
country; state; region; national government; central government; home (i.e. hometown, home country); (arch.) province (of Japan)
child-rearing assistance; support for young parents; child-care allowance
et cetera; etc.; or something; the likes of; for example; for instance
indicates direct object of action; indicates subject of causative expression; indicates an area traversed; indicates time (period) over which action takes place; indicates point of departure or separation of action; indicates object of desire, like, hate, etc.
to start; to begin; to start up (a business, society, etc.); to open (e.g. a store); to start ...; to begin to ...
conclusion from reasoning, judgement or calculation based on something read or heard; reason; cause; meaning; circumstances; situation
but; however; (and) yet; nevertheless; still; for all that
as expected; sure enough; after all (is said and done); in the end; too; also
indicates possessive; nominalizes verbs and adjectives; substitutes for "ga" in subordinate phrases; (at sentence-end, falling tone) indicates a confident conclusion; (at sentence-end) indicates emotional emphasis; (at sentence-end, rising tone) indicates question
hard; tough; hardware; hard disk
preference; priority; precedence
should; must; -able; probably; likely
be; is; did; (have) done; please; do
if; when; and; with; used for quoting (thoughts, speech, etc.); promoted pawn; indicates a question
that; it; then; that point (in time); (arch.) there; (arch.) you
somehow; how; in what way; why; what kind of
that; the; part (as in "part two"); um ...; er ...
in front (of); before (e.g. a building); before; earlier; (the) front; frontal part; forward
at (place, time); in; to (direction, state); toward; for (purpose); because of (reason); for
indicates word or phrase being defined; used for quoting (thoughts, speech, etc.); with; (not) as much as; (not) so much as; the fact that
to think (about, of); to think over; to consider; to bear in mind; to think (that); to believe; to intend (to do)
that being the case; because of ...; the reason is ...; given that ...
indicates sentence subject (occasionally object); indicates possessive (esp. in literary expressions); but; however; regardless of; whether (or not)
few; a little; scarce; insufficient; seldom
parent; parents; dealer (in cards, mahjong, etc.); banker; founder; inventor; (pet) owner
that is to say; that is; in short; in brief; clogging; obstruction; shrinkage
action of making something; -ification
this; last (couple of years, etc.); these; you (as in "you liar")
at; in; at; when; by; with; and then
to advance; to go forward; to precede; to go ahead (of); to make progress; to improve; to deepen
to give birth; to bear (child); to lay (eggs); to produce; to yield; to give rise to
although; despite; whereas; while; if only; I wish
readiness; preparedness; resolution; resignation
qualifications; requirements; capabilities
to be (of animate objects); to exist; to stay; to be ...-ing; to have been ...-ing
to think; to consider; to think (of doing); to plan (to do); to judge; to assess; to imagine
mind; heart; spirit; the meaning of a phrase (riddle, etc.)
child; kid; (one's) child; offspring; young (animal); young woman; offshoot