indicates sentence topic; indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated); adds emphasis
Izumi (former province located in the southwest of present-day Osaka Prefecture)
famous sword; sword blade by Masamune; sake; Japanese rice wine; brand of sake from Nada region during Tenpō era (1830-1844)
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
senior high school; high school
second-year student; biennial
at (place, time); in; to (direction, state); toward; for (purpose); because of (reason); for
to go to and from (a place); to go back and forth between; to go to (school, work, etc.); to attend; to circulate (e.g. blood, electricity); to be communicated (e.g. thought)
while; during; while; although; all; both
light novel; young-adult illustrated fiction
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 write; to compose; to pen; to draw; to paint
perusing as a side business; doing in addition to one's main work; running (businesses) simultaneously; side business; job on the side
author; writer; novelist; artist
be; is; did; (have) done; please; do
famous sword; sword blade by Masamune; sake; Japanese rice wine; brand of sake from Nada region during Tenpō era (1830-1844)
to be; to exist; to have; to be located; to be equipped with; to happen
year; counter for years (e.g. of an era), grades (e.g. school); period of an apprentice's contract (usu. ten years)
in front (of); before (e.g. a building); before; earlier; (the) front; frontal part; forward
from (e.g. time, place, numerical quantity); since; from (originator); by; because; since; out of (constituent, part)
shut-in; stay-at-home; hikikomori; social withdrawal; shunning other people
if; when; and; with; used for quoting (thoughts, speech, etc.); promoted pawn; indicates a question
two persons; two people; pair; couple
end; finish; bounds; limits; delivery date (of a futures contract); finale (of a noh song); end of an act (in jōruri or kabuki)
at; in; at; when; by; with; and then
to live; to get along; to spend (time)
such; that sort of; that kind of; no way!; never!
living; life (one's daily existence); livelihood
change; variation; variety; diversity; inflection; declension
indicates sentence subject (occasionally object); indicates possessive (esp. in literary expressions); but; however; regardless of; whether (or not)
thing; matter; incident; occurrence; circumstances; situation; work
secret; secrecy; mystery; secret (e.g. to success); esoteric teachings
to be aware of; to know; to notice; to feel; to understand; to comprehend; to remember
to finish; to stop; to close (a business, etc.); to close down; to put away; to put back
illustration (e.g. book); picture
to draw; to paint; to depict; to describe; to picture in one's mind; to imagine
to give; to let (one) have; to give; to do for one; to take the trouble to do; to do to someone's disadvantage