絆

• 読み: きずな
• ローマ字: kizuna
• 漢字の分解: 絆 (bond/ties, originally a tether for horses) → emotional bonds between people
• 発音: /ki.zu.na/

意味

A deep bond between people — emotional ties that connect individuals through shared experiences, especially hardship.

While 絆 simply means 'bond' or 'ties,' it took on profound significance after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, when it was selected as the Kanji of the Year. It came to symbolise the solidarity and mutual support that emerged from the disaster. Since then, 絆 has been used in everything from heartfelt tributes to community resilience to casual descriptions of deep friendships. It carries emotional weight that the English word 'bond' does not fully capture.

例文

1. 震災を通じて地域の絆が深まったと感じる。
2. 家族の絆って離れてみて初めて分かるよね。
3. チームメイトとの絆は一生ものだと思う。

使い方ガイド

場面: relationships, community, social media, sports

トーン: emotional, sincere

正しい言い方

• 仲間との絆を大切にしたい (I want to cherish the bonds with my companions)
• この絆は永遠だよ (This bond is forever)

避ける言い方

• 軽い関係に「絆」を使うと大げさに聞こえる (Using 絆 for casual acquaintances sounds too dramatic)

よくある間違い

• Using 絆 too casually — it implies deep emotional connection, not surface-level friendships
• Not knowing its post-2011 significance and the extra emotional weight it carries in disaster-related contexts

起源と歴史

The kanji 絆 originally referred to a rope used to tie up horses. It evolved to mean the invisible ties binding people together. It was chosen as 2011's Kanji of the Year (今年の漢字) following the Great East Japan Earthquake, becoming a national symbol of solidarity.

文化的背景

時代: Ancient word, national symbol after 2011 earthquake

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal

地域メモ: Used across all of Japan. Carries special emotional resonance in disaster recovery contexts. 2011 Kanji of the Year.