節目

Japanese JLPT N1 Vocabulary Japanese ★★★★ 4/5 neutral ふしめfushime
Reading ふしめ
Romaji fushime
Kanji breakdown 節 (setsu/fushi) — node, joint, season, section; 目 (moku/me) — eye, point, marker
Pronunciation /ɸɯ.ɕi.me/

Meaning

A turning point; a milestone; a significant juncture in life or history. Also, literally, the node or joint of a bamboo stalk.

節目 draws its metaphorical meaning from the physical structure of bamboo: the nodes (節) that segment the stalk are both its strongest points and the markers that define its growth. In temporal usage, 節目 refers to meaningful transitions — retirement, graduation, anniversaries, or the end of a project — that divide the flow of time into defined phases. The phrase 人生の節目 (a turning point in life) is extremely common in formal and semi-formal contexts.

Examples

  1. 結婚は人生の大きな節目であり、二人の新たな出発を意味する。 Marriage is a major milestone in life, marking a new departure for two people.
  2. 創業50周年という節目を迎え、社長は会社の歩みを振り返る言葉を述べた。 Reaching the milestone of the company's 50th anniversary, the president spoke of looking back on the company's journey.
  3. 節目節目に感謝の気持ちを伝えることが、長い関係を築く秘訣だと思う。 I believe that expressing gratitude at each and every turning point is the secret to building a lasting relationship.

Usage Guide

Context: life events, business milestones, ceremony, reflection

Tone: reflective

Origin & History

Literally the node of a bamboo: 節 (node, joint, season) + 目 (eye, point, marker). As bamboo grows in clearly defined segments separated by hard nodes, 節目 came to metaphorically denote pivotal moments that structure the continuity of time.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Related Phrases

年度 Fiscal year; academic year; official year. A defined annual period used for administrative, educational, or financial purposes, often not aligned with the calendar year. 昭和 The Shōwa era; the imperial reign period of Emperor Hirohito, spanning 1926 to 1989. One of the longest and most historically eventful eras in Japanese history. 歴史的 Historic; historical. Describes something of great historical significance, or something related to history in general. 元号 Era name; the official name given to a reign period in the Japanese imperial system. Japan currently uses the era Reiwa, which began in 2019. 干支 The Chinese zodiac; the traditional sexagenary cycle combining the ten Heavenly Stems and twelve Earthly Branches. Also used colloquially to refer to one's zodiac animal sign. 年号 Era name; Japanese era designation. An official name given to a reign period in the traditional Japanese calendar system. 年度末 End of the fiscal year or academic year; year-end in the Japanese administrative calendar. Typically refers to late March. 戦前 Pre-war; the period before a war. In Japanese, typically refers to Japan before World War II, particularly before 1937 or 1941.
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