to compare; to make a comparison; to compete; to vie
comfort; ease; easy; simple; (economically) comfortable; raku pottery
dangerous; risky; in danger; in jeopardy; uncertain; unreliable
nonchalant; unconcerned; in a casual manner
-ical; -ive; -like; -ish; (something) like; along the lines of
third year of junior high school; third-year junior high school student
graded on N steps; scored out of N
order; rank; position (e.g. in a race); precedence
bill; bill of sale; tab (for later payment); credit; contact move (in go); direct attack to an enemy stone; sound effect produced by striking with clappers a wooden board in kabuki
self-consciousness; self-awareness
weekend; Saturday and Sunday
cram school; private tutoring school; juku
normal; ordinary; normally; ordinarily; local train; train that stops at every station
to project; to overhang; to stick out; to put up (a notice); to post
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology; MEXT
to give birth; to bear (child); to lay (eggs); to produce; to yield; to give rise to
something; something or other; so-and-so; somehow; anyhow; one way or another
university; college; former central university of Kyoto (established under the ritsuryo system for the training of government administrators); the Great Learning (one of the Four Books)
to enter; to go into; to break into; to join; to enroll; to contain; to hold
finding employment; getting a job
easy victory; walkover; easy peasy; child's play; cakewalk
2008 financial crisis; global financial crisis; GFC
abruptly; suddenly; all of a sudden; without warning
glacial period; glacial epoch; glacial era; tough period; drought (of opportunities, jobs, etc.)
(not) even once; (not) ever
excuse me; pardon me; I'm sorry; thank you
weak; frail; delicate; tender; unskilled; weak (wine)
constitutional; relating to character, structure, nature, etc.
counter for buildings (esp. houses); suffix for a pen name, stage name, etc.
on the road; side of the road; roadside
breasts; boobies; tits; breast milk
slowly; quietly; steadily; soon; momentarily; before long
this time; now; next time; another time; recently; lately
to associate with; to keep company with; to go out with; to go along with; to follow someone's lead; to accompany someone
number (in a series); (one's) turn; watch; guard; rank; standing; bout
one's own convenience; one's way; surroundings; environment; convenience; ease of use; financial circumstances
it is, isn't it?; I know, right?; innit?
society; public; community; social studies
same period; corresponding period; same year (of graduation, entering a company, etc.); contemporary; synchronization; synchronism
inter-office mail; intra-company mail
business results; business performance
isn't it?; don't you think?; right?; surely; come on
in terms of both ... and ...; from the perspective of ... as well as ...; whether it be ... or ...