JLPT N1Written, narrativeStories, rumors

にまつわるto do with; surrounding

Stories, memories, rumors and troubles gather around a thing and cling to it: the legends of a pond, the tales people tell about money.

この寺てらには、創そう建けんにまつわる伝でん説せつがいくつも残のこされている。

Several legends about how this temple was founded have come down to us.

祖そ父ふは、町まちの古ふるい橋はしにまつわる逸いつ話わをよく話はなしてくれた。

My grandfather often told me stories about the old bridge in our town.

How to form it

Noun + にまつわる + noun

It stands straight before a noun. Unlike に関かんして, it is rarely used as にまつわって.

Before it: What the stories hang on: a place, a person, an object, an event, or a topic such as お金かね, 食しょく or 名な前まえ.
After it: Mostly what people tell, remember or worry about: 話はなし, 伝でん説せつ, エピソード, 思おもい出で, うわさ, 謎なぞ, トラブル, 悩なやみ.
Where you'll meet it: Magazine features, book titles, museum labels, documentaries, a presenter introducing a topic. Rare in casual talk.
In everyday speech: 〜の話はなし or 〜についての話はなし.

In use

古ふるい港みなとにまつわる怪かい談だんを集あつめた本ほんが出しゅっ版ぱんされた。

A collection of ghost stories about the old harbor has been published.

お金かねにまつわるトラブルは、親したしい友ゆう人じんの間あいだでも起おこる。

Money troubles happen even between close friends.

ネット上じょうには、ワクチンにまつわる誤ご解かいが今いまも広ひろがっている。

Misconceptions about vaccines are still spreading online.

Not for a plain subject

A report, a notice or a set of data is simply about its subject, and that is に関かんする.

会かい社しゃは製せい品ひんの安あん全ぜん性せいに関かんするデータを公こう開かいした。

The company released data on the product's safety.

Data is about its subject, and no more.

製せい品ひんの安あん全ぜん性せいにまつわるうわさがネットで広ひろがった。

Rumors about the product's safety spread online.

Talk that has gathered around it.

Close neighbours

に関かんして・に関かんするN2

The plain "concerning" of documents, the news and formal email: what a question, a notice or a report is about.

市しは騒そう音おんに関かんする調ちょう査さ結けっ果かを公こう開かいした。

The city published the results of a survey on noise.

をめぐるN2

English says "surrounding" here too, but what surrounds the thing is a dispute: sides arguing or competing over it.

王おう座ざをめぐる二人ふたりの選せん手しゅの戦たたかいが注ちゅう目もくを集あつめた。

The two athletes' battle for the title drew a lot of attention.

Check yourself

1Which one fits?

明日あしたの会かい議ぎ（　　）お知しらせです。

Choose an answer to see why.

2Which sentence sounds natural?

Choose an answer to see why.

More detail

The verb まつわる means to coil around something or cling to it. Its kanji, 纏まつわる, is rarely used.

More sentences

資し料りょう館かんでは、戦せん後ごの復ふっ興こうにまつわる証しょう言げんを収しゅう集しゅうしている。

The archive is collecting people's accounts of the post-war reconstruction.

研けん究きゅう者しゃたちは、遭そう難なん事じ件けんにまつわる謎なぞを再さい検けん証しょうした。

The researchers looked again at the mysteries surrounding the accident.

村むらの祭まつりにまつわる昔むかし話ばなしが今いまも語かたり継つがれている。

Old tales about the village festival are still handed down today.

この本ほんを読よめば、香こう辛しん料りょうにまつわる知ち識しきを楽たのしく学まなべる。

With this book you can enjoy learning all sorts of things about spices.

Compared with similar forms

Ways to say "about"