also: じぼく
eyes and ears; seeing and hearing
Refers literally to the organs or faculties of sight and hearing, often in contexts of observation or sensory input.
It was a sight that made me doubt my own eyes and ears.
This device mimics human eyes and ears.
Used figuratively for public attention or notice, often in phrases like 耳目を集める (attract attention) or 耳目を引く (catch one's eye/ear).
The incident attracted public attention.
His new work is drawing a lot of interest.
The news caught the public's attention.
関心 describes a person's own interest or concern in something, whereas 耳目 describes the state of being watched or noticed by others.
Standard kanji form; the reading じもく is the most common.
Rare reading; じもく is strongly preferred in modern Japanese.
Compound of 耳 (ear) and 目 (eye), literally 'ears and eyes'. The figurative sense of 'attention' derives naturally from the idea of people's ears and eyes being directed toward something.