~ながら (concessive 'even though')

The particle ~ながら in its concessive sense, 'even though X / despite being X / while being X.' Distinct from the simultaneous-action ~ながら ('while doing X'). Attaches commonly to nouns and adjectives: 我ながら ('even for me'), 残念ながら ('regrettably'), ハイリスクながら ('despite being high-risk').