拡散希望

• Reading: かくさんきぼう
• Romaji: kakusan kibō
• Kanji breakdown: 拡 (expand) + 散 (scatter) + 希 (hope) + 望 (desire) → hoping for information to scatter widely
• Pronunciation: /ka.ku.sa.n ki.boː/

Meaning

Please share/retweet/spread the word — a request to help information reach a wider audience on social media.

拡散希望 (kakusan kibō) literally means 'spreading desired' and is the Japanese equivalent of 'please RT' or 'please share.' It is added to posts when the author wants the information to reach as many people as possible. Commonly used for missing person alerts, event promotions, important announcements, and sometimes just self-promotion. While it is effective, overuse can be seen as attention-seeking. Some users abbreviate it to just 拡散. The phrase became iconic on Twitter/X Japan and is now used across all social platforms.

Examples

1. 迷子の猫を探しています。拡散希望です。 I'm looking for my lost cat. Please share this.
2. 拡散希望って書いてあるけど怪しくない？ It says 'please share' but doesn't it seem sketchy?
3. ライブの告知、拡散希望でお願いします！ Here's the announcement for the live show — please help spread the word!

Usage Guide

Context: Twitter/X, social media, event promotion, emergency posts

Tone: urgent, requesting

Do Say

• 【拡散希望】明日のイベント情報です！ ([Please share] Here's the event info for tomorrow!)
• 拡散希望のツイート多すぎて全部はRTできない。 (There are too many 'please share' tweets to retweet them all.)

Don't Say

• どうでもいい内容に拡散希望をつける (Don't add 'please share' to trivial content — it loses its impact)

Common Mistakes

• Overusing 拡散希望 on minor posts — it should be reserved for genuinely important information
• Not verifying information before sharing 拡散希望 posts — false information spreads easily this way

Origin & History

From 拡散 (kakusan, spread/diffuse) + 希望 (kibō, hope/desire). Became a standard social media phrase on Twitter Japan in the early 2010s. Equivalent to 'please RT' or 'please share' in English social media culture.

Cultural Context

Era: Early 2010s, with Twitter Japan growth

Generation: All social media users

Social background: Universal

Regional notes: Used across Japan. Played a significant role in disaster communication (earthquakes, typhoons) where rapid information sharing is critical.