大局

• Reading: たいきょく
• Romaji: taikyoku
• Kanji breakdown: 大 (tai) — large, overall; 局 (kyoku) — situation, sphere
• Pronunciation: /ta.i.kʲo.kɯ/

Meaning

Overall situation; big picture; general outlook. The broad, overarching view of a situation.

A noun used to encourage stepping back from immediate detail to grasp the whole situation. 大局を見る/大局的に見る (to see the big picture) and 大局観 (a sense of the broader situation) are important phrases. In go (囲碁) strategy, 大局 refers to reading the entire board rather than individual battles — this metaphor extends widely into business and politics.

Examples

1. 細かいことにこだわらず、大局を見据えた判断が重要だ。 Rather than getting caught up in minor details, it is important to make decisions with an eye on the big picture.
2. 大局的な視点からすれば、この問題は全体の流れの中の小さな一コマに過ぎない。 From a broad perspective, this issue is just a small moment in the overall flow of events.
3. リーダーに求められる資質の一つは、優れた大局観を持つことだ。 One of the qualities required of a leader is having a strong grasp of the overall situation.

Usage Guide

Context: strategy, politics, business, leadership

Tone: strategic

Origin & History

Sino-Japanese compound: 大 (tai) means large or overall, 局 (kyoku) means situation or sphere. The term derives from go, referring to the overall board situation.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical-Modern

Generation: Adult

Social background: Universal