noun
hailing distance; within shouting distance
Literary or formal expression for a very short distance, close enough to call out to someone. Often used figuratively to mean 'close at hand' or 'nearby'.
駅はここから指呼の間にある。
The station is within hailing distance from here.
成功はもう指呼の間だ。
Success is now within shouting distance.
Plain, everyday expression for 'very near', without the literary or figurative nuance of 指呼の間.
Compound of 指呼 (shiko, 'pointing and calling') and 間 (kan, 'interval, distance'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the phrase evokes a distance close enough to point at someone and call out.