Yojijukugo: Four-Kanji Japanese Idiom Collection

一国一城 いっこくいちじょう establishing only one castle in each feudal domain (edict issued by the shogunate in 1615) 一紙半銭 いっしはんせん small sum 確固不動 かっこふどう unshakeable (e.g. belief) 田夫野人 でんぷやじん rustic 勤王攘夷 きんのうじょうい loyalty to the emperor and expulsion of the foreigners 御用繁多 ごようはんた being busy with many things 博学多才 はくがくたさい wide knowledge and versatile talents 君子豹変 くんしひょうへん the wise make no scruple in suddenly changing their demeanor 尽忠報国 じんちゅうほうこく loyalty and patriotism 一六勝負 いちろくしょうぶ gambling 盗人上戸 ぬすびとじょうご person who can drink much alcohol without becoming tipsy 不協和音 ふきょうわおん discord 意志薄弱 いしはくじゃく weak-willed 枝葉末節 しようまっせつ unimportant details 不偏不党 ふへんふとう impartiality 遠慮会釈 えんりょえしゃく reserve and consideration (to others) 千慮一失 せんりょいっしつ mere slip by someone who is usually very careful 肉食妻帯 にくじきさいたい meat and matrimony (Buddhism) 平沙万里 へいさばんり vast stretch of desert 和衷協同 わちゅうきょうどう harmonious cooperation 権謀術策 けんぼうじゅっさく trickery 開口一番 かいこういちばん at the very beginning of one's speech 時世時節 ときよじせつ times and situations 怨敵退散 おんてきたいさん invoking disaster upon one's mortal enemy 晴耕雨読 せいこううどく working in the field in fine weather and reading at home in rainy weather 史上空前 しじょうくうぜん unprecedented in history 深層心理 しんそうしんり deep psyche 金烏玉兎 きんうぎょくと sun and moon 天下無類 てんかむるい peerless (unparalleled, matchless, unequaled) in the country 四神相応 しじんそうおう an ideal topography for the four Taoist gods, with a river in the east, a broad avenue in the west, a basin in the south, and a hill in the north 戦々恐々 せんせんきょうきょう trembling with fear 博引旁証 はくいんぼうしょう citing copious references 山紫水明 さんしすいめい scenic beauty 一致団結 いっちだんけつ solidarity 放蕩無頼 ほうとうぶらい being dissolute and unruly 因果因縁 いんがいんねん cause and effect 四角四面 しかくしめん square 一心不乱 いっしんふらん wholeheartedly 悠々閑々 ゆうゆうかんかん composed and unhurried 千辛万苦 せんしんばんく many hardships 三者三様 さんしゃさんよう each of the three being different from the other two 旧態依然 きゅうたいいぜん remaining unchanged (from the old state of things) 落花啼鳥 らっかていちょう the poetic feeling of a late spring scene (with flowers scattering and birds chirping) 情状酌量 じょうじょうしゃくりょう taking the extenuating circumstances into consideration 正邪曲直 せいじゃきょくちょく right and wrong 天地無用 てんちむよう do not turn upside down 高山流水 こうざんりゅうすい beautifully (skillfully) played music 雲集霧散 うんしゅうむさん (many things) gathering like clouds and vanishing like mist 緊褌一番 きんこんいちばん gird oneself up 荘厳華麗 そうごんかれい majestic and splendid 浅学寡聞 せんがくかぶん shallow learning and limited information 状況証拠 じょうきょうしょうこ circumstantial evidence 慈悲心鳥 じひしんちょう rufous hawk-cuckoo (Hierococcyx hyperythrus) 全身全霊 ぜんしんぜんれい complete devotion 豪華絢爛 ごうかけんらん luxurious and gorgeous 六道輪廻 ろくどうりんね endless circle of transmigration in the six posthumous worlds 悪逆無道 あくぎゃくむどう treacherous 雄気堂々 ゆうきどうどう with heroic drive and boundless energy 明朗快活 めいろうかいかつ cheerful and openhearted 佳人薄命 かじんはくめい beauties die young 海内無双 かいだいむそう unparalleled in the whole country 自業自得 じごうじとく paying for one's mistakes 迷惑至極 めいわくしごく great nuisance 諸説紛々 しょせつふんぷん divergent opinions abound 勇猛精進 ゆうみょうしょうじん engage in ascetic practices with dauntless spirit 危機一髪 ききいっぱつ by a hair's breadth 枯木死灰 こぼくしかい withered trees and cold ash 八紘一宇 はっこういちう universal brotherhood 曖昧模糊 あいまいもこ obscure 五陰盛苦 ごおんじょうく pain caused by the five skandhas 名声赫々 めいせいかっかく of great renown 断章取義 だんしょうしゅぎ interpreting (and using) a passage without regard to its context 王政復古 おうせいふっこ Restoration (England) 挙措進退 きょそしんたい behavior 受胎告知 じゅたいこくち Annunciation 整理整頓 せいりせいとん keeping things tidy and in order 才気煥発 さいきかんぱつ quick-witted 萎靡沈滞 いびちんたい decline of energy and vigour (vigor) 半官半民 はんかんはんみん semi-governmental 簡潔明瞭 かんけつめいりょう clear and concise 慎重居士 しんちょうこじ very cautious person 男尊女卑 だんそんじょひ male domination of women 後生大事 ごしょうだいじ with religious zeal 一汁一菜 いちじゅういっさい one-plate meal 已己巳己 いこみき all the same 南無三宝 なむさんぼう Homage to the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma and Sangha) 円満具足 えんまんぐそく (things) being complete, tranquil, and in harmony 尸位素餐 しいそさん neglecting the duties of an office while taking pay 善後措置 ぜんごそち remedial measure 大同小異 だいどうしょうい essentially the same with only minor differences 捲土重来 けんどちょうらい recouping one's strength for a renewed attack 正直一遍 しょうじきいっぺん honest to a fault 一死報国 いっしほうこく dying for one's country 死屍累々 ししるいるい heaps of corpses all around 天下無双 てんかむそう peerless 百花斉放 ひゃっかせいほう let a hundred flowers blossom 三拝九拝 さんぱいきゅうはい kowtowing 特筆大書 とくひつたいしょ (printed or written in) large letters 腐敗堕落 ふはいだらく debasement 内股膏薬 うちまたこうやく double-dealer