subsidy
government assistance money
Sony Walkman
portable audio player (tape and later CD) popular in the 1990s and early 2000s
porcelain
white translucent ceramic material used chiefly for tableware and delicate objects
codger
elderly eccentric man
duralumin
hard and light aluminum alloy first produced in the Rhineland town of Düren
glint
to give out or reflect small flashes of light
amiable
displaying friendliness
recatalogue
to classify again
flabbergast
to shock and astonish
mutter
to say something in a barely audible voice, usually while irritated
Colonel Sanders
American businessman who founded the Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise and whose image became synonymous with the brand
Johnnie Walker
a scotch whisky brand whose logo features a man wearing a top hat and carrying a cane
metaphysical
relating to the branch of philosophy that deals with things that transcend the physical or natural world, including being, identity, space, and time
7-Eleven
international convenience store with many locations in Japan
Takamatsu
southern Japanese city located on the island of Shikoku
prefecture (in Japan)
local governmental entity that is larger than a city, town or village
Lawson
ubiquitous chain of convenience stores in Japan
Franz Kafka
famous early-twentieth-century Czech writer known for his nightmarish fictional creations
Archduke Trio
1814 classical composition for piano, violin, and cello by Ludwig van Beethoven
toro
expensive cut of fatty tuna used for sushi
