These essays teach vocabulary for home furnishings (futons, beds, tables, desks, chairs, and shelves) and flooring. Two essays explore the alcove known as a tokonoma. You'll also learn the figurative meanings of "putting away bedding" and "flipping over a table." Beyond that, you'll discover terms for "clinical," "power struggle," "barbershop," "putting plans on ice," "position of authority in a government or company," and "hotbed of crimes," even delving into matters of floor area, dentures, air circulation, windfalls, faultfinding, Bon offerings to ancestors, trellises, hospital size, theater stages, a Guinness world record, round-table conferences, and dining platforms across rivers.

With these four kanji, you can lose yourself: You can put your heart and soul into pursuing a goal. You can become so passionate that you're obsessed. You can become intoxicated by an onsen or fascinated by music—even drunk on your own charms. You can admire a teacher so much that you're hopelessly devoted. Is all of this positive or negative? On the plus side, a fanatical mindset enables you to create elaborate things, feel deeply, commit fully, and master skills. On the minus side, you will likely annoy others as you slide into monomania and perfectionism!