花はな道みち

は

な

み

ち

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

hanamichi; flower path; runway through audience

In kabuki, the elevated walkway from the back of the theater through the audience to the main stage, used for dramatic entrances and exits.

歌か舞ぶ伎きでは、役やく者しゃが花はな道みちを通とおって登とう場じょうする。
In kabuki, actors make their entrance via the hanamichi.

2

graceful exit; honorable retirement; swan song

Figurative use derived from the kabuki walkway; refers to leaving a career or position in a dignified, celebrated way, often at a peak.

彼かれは社しゃ長ちょうを退たい任にんし、花はな道みちを飾かざった。
He stepped down as president and made a graceful exit.
引いん退たい試じ合あいで花はな道みちを飾かざる。
He caps his career with a final match.

See all 12 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉に花はな道みちを用よう意いするto arrange a fitting send-off for someone
チームは引いん退たいする選せん手しゅに花はな道みちを用よう意いした。
The team arranged a fitting send-off for the retiring player.
花はな道みちを飾かざるto cap one's career with a triumphant final performance
彼かれは最さい後ごの試し合あいでホームランを打うち、花はな道みちを飾かざった。
He hit a home run in his final game, capping his career in style.
花はな道みちを歩あるくto walk down the hanamichi (kabuki entrance/exit path)
役やく者しゃが花はな道みちを歩あるいて舞ぶ台たいに登とう場じょうした。
The actor made his entrance walking down the hanamichi.

Kanji

花flower
道road-way, street, district

Related words

引いん退たいN3sense 2
引退 is the plain, general word for retiring from a career or position, while 花道 highlights doing so in a graceful, celebrated way.
勇ゆう退たい sense 2
勇退 stresses stepping down voluntarily to make way for others, whereas 花道 focuses on the honor and fanfare of the send-off itself.

Don't confuse with

華か道どう
花道 (はなみち) is the kabuki walkway or a graceful exit, while 華道 (かどう) is the art of Japanese flower arrangement; the words sound identical but are unrelated.

Built from

花はな+道みち

Etymology

Literally 'flower path'. Originally the name of the kabuki walkway decorated with flowers; the figurative sense of a graceful career exit comes from the dramatic final walk down the hanamichi.