近く

Pattern visualization

Examples

1. 駅の近くに住んでいます。▶ —
   I live near the station.
2. もっと近くで見てください。▶ —
   Please look more closely.

Collocations

Mnemonic

Chikaku (近く) is the noun / adverb "near, nearby," derived from chikai via ~ku. Partner of tooku. Eki no chikaku (near the station), chikaku de miru (look closely). Cluster: kinjo (近所, neighborhood — common in conversation), kinrin (近隣, neighboring, formal — diplomacy, urban planning), kinkyori (近距離, short distance). "Gokinjo-san" (neighbor, polite address) is core Japanese social vocabulary. Gokinjo zukiai (neighborhood relations) is a social ritual — helping during earthquakes / disasters, osusowake (sharing food), neighborhood associations (chounaikai). The gokinjo ritual is weakening with urbanization but persists in rural towns, traditional neighborhoods, and condo councils. Korean "geun-cheo / i-ut / geun-rin / geun-go-ri" parallels, plus Japan's gokinjo zukiai social-code layer.

Quick check

1. Ritual referenced by "gokinjo zukiai"?

   • Neighborhood relations — mutual help, osusowake (sharing food), chounaikai, disaster support
   • Simple greetings
   • Coworker socializing
   • Distant-relative socializing