noun
connections; contacts; pull
Refers to personal connections or influence used to get things done, often in business or social contexts. Similar to コネ but slightly more formal.
彼は政界に手蔓があるらしい。
He seems to have connections in the political world.
就職は手蔓次第だと言われることもある。
It's sometimes said that getting a job depends on who you know.
Compound of 手 (hand) and 蔓 (vine/tendril), metaphorically extending to mean 'connections' or 'contacts' that one can reach out to.