看取り

• Reading: みとり
• Romaji: mitori
• Kanji breakdown: 看 (kan) — watch over, care for, attend; 取り (tori) — attending, taking
• Pronunciation: /mi.to.ɾi/

Meaning

Attending the dying; deathbed care; end-of-life care. Being present with and caring for someone in the final moments of their life.

A noun (and suru-verb: 看取る) with deep cultural significance in Japan, where the manner of death and the presence of family are considered highly important. 在宅看取り (home-based end-of-life care) is an increasingly discussed alternative to hospitalised death. The term carries a sense of devoted, compassionate presence, distinct from purely clinical 終末期ケア (terminal care).

Examples

1. 在宅での看取りを希望する患者が近年増えている。 In recent years, more patients are choosing to receive end-of-life care at home.
2. 看取りの経験を通じて、命の大切さを深く学んだと看護師は語った。 The nurse said that through the experience of attending the dying, she learned deeply about the preciousness of life.
3. 終末期医療において、家族が看取りに立ち会えるよう配慮される。 In end-of-life medicine, arrangements are made so that family members can be present at the time of passing.

Usage Guide

Context: medicine, end-of-life care, nursing, family, palliative care

Tone: solemn, compassionate

Origin & History

Native Japanese compound: 看 (kan) means to watch over or tend to, and 取り (tori) from the verb 取る means taking or attending. Together, 看取る means to watch over someone until death. The term reflects the traditional Japanese value of being present at the moment of passing.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical-Modern

Generation: Adult

Social background: Universal