“〜wo kikkake ni・wo kikkake to shite”: With 〜 as the Turning Point / Trigger [JLPT N3]

Content by NTJ Kuma · Nihongo to Japan editorial team · Updated July 27, 2026

“Studying abroad got me into Japanese” — the core pattern for an event that brings about change

「入院をきっかけに、生活を見直した」 — one event becomes the starting point of change

「病気で入院したことをきっかけに、生活習慣を見直した」 (triggered by a hospital stay from illness, I reviewed my lifestyle) — 「〜をきっかけに（して）／をきっかけとして」 expresses “with ～ as a trigger, taking the chance of ～ (to begin a change)”: some event becomes the starting point, the turning point of a later change or action. This guide covers 「をきっかけに」's use and attachment, separating it from the written 「を機に」 and its family 「を中心に」「をはじめ」.

Core: with ～ as a trigger/turning point (an event becomes the start of change)

「(noun／〜こと) ＋ をきっかけに（して）／をきっかけとして」 = “with ～ as a trigger, taking the chance of ～ (to begin/change)” — some event triggers, sets off a subsequent change or action:

• 一冊の本をきっかけに、歴史に興味を持った (triggered by one book, I took an interest in history).
• コロナをきっかけに、在宅勤務が広がった (triggered by COVID, remote work spread).

Feel: “with ～ as a trigger／taking the chance of ～” — the core is “an event becomes the ‘starting point, occasion' of a subsequent change or start.” The “trigger” in front is often a concrete event (a meeting, an illness, a trip, a remark), followed by the change it caused. It carries a “from that point, because of that event” turn.

Attachment rules

Examples in context

• 友人の一言をきっかけに、留学を決意した。(Triggered by a friend's remark, I resolved to study abroad.)
• あの映画を見たことをきっかけに、日本語を学び始めた。(Triggered by seeing that movie, I began learning Japanese.)
• 震災をきっかけに、防災意識が高まった。(Triggered by the earthquake disaster, disaster-awareness rose.)
• 転職をきっかけとして、東京に引っ越した。(On the occasion of a job change, I moved to Tokyo.)
• 子供の誕生を機に、家を買った。(On the occasion of my child's birth, I bought a house.)

⚠️ Common mistakes to avoid

① 「をきっかけに」 is ‘a trigger, a starting point,' not ‘a center' or ‘a representative.' It marks an event becoming the start of a subsequent change — don't mix it with its two family members: をきっかけに = with ～ as a trigger (setting off change) (入院をきっかけに生活を変えた); を中心に = centered on ～ (others around) (東京を中心に); をはじめ = led by ～ (listing representatives) (社長をはじめ). Similar structures, distinct meanings: trigger／center／representative. (を中心に: see 〈を中心に〉; をはじめ: see 〈をはじめ〉.)

② The second clause must be ‘a change/new action caused by the trigger,' not plain sequence. 「をきっかけに」's second clause must be a transformation or start set off by the trigger (興味を持つ・始める・変える・広がる). If it's just “after A, do B” (no causal-trigger relation), use 「〜てから／〜後で」. をきっかけに stresses “that event became the trigger; because of it, the later change occurred,” with a causal, turning-point sense.

③ Use 「こと」 in front to nominalize a verb. If the trigger is an “action/event” (described with a verb), first make it a noun: verb plain form ＋ こと ＋ をきっかけに (彼に出会ったことをきっかけに = triggered by the fact of meeting him). Plain 「出会うをきっかけに」 doesn't work. Nouns attach directly (旅行をきっかけに).

🔄 Compare: をきっかけに／を機に／を中心に／をはじめ

💡 The one thing to remember

「〜をきっかけに（して）／をきっかけとして」 = with ～ as a trigger, taking the chance of ～ (to begin/change), its core “an event becomes the ‘starting point, occasion' of a subsequent change or start” (一冊の本をきっかけに歴史好きに; 入院をきっかけに生活を見直す). Three points: ① it's ‘a trigger, a start,' not ‘a center' or ‘a representative' — don't mix it with its family 「を中心に」 (core), 「をはじめ」 (listing representatives); ② the second clause must be ‘a change/new action caused by the trigger,' not plain sequence; ③ if the trigger is an action/event, nominalize with 「〜こと」 in front (出会ったことをきっかけに). A more written, concise synonym is 「を機に」. To express “an event became the start of change,” をきっかけに is the most vivid. (Core: 〈を中心に〉; representative: 〈をはじめ〉.)

❓ Common questions

Q: Do 「をきっかけに」 and 「を機に」 mean the same? Interchangeable?

Nearly the same (both “with ～ as a trigger, taking the chance of ～ to change/start”), often interchangeable, differing in register and conciseness. 「をきっかけに（して）」 = with ～ as a trigger (colloquial-to-general, more plain, concrete, stressing ‘that event triggered the sequel'): SNSで話題になったことをきっかけに、店が有名になった (triggered by becoming a topic on social media, the shop got famous — plainly, concretely stating a trigger). Usable in everyday talk and writing, natural in tone. 「を機に」 = on the occasion of ～ (more written, concise, formal, often a dignified expression of a major life turn): 定年を機に、故郷へ帰ることにした (on the occasion of retirement, I decided to return to my hometown — concise, formal); 開業10周年を機に、店舗を拡大する (expand the store on the 10th anniversary — a formal setting). It's more terse and elegant, seen more in writing, speeches, major decisions. Test: everyday, concrete, plain → をきっかけに; written, formal, concise (especially major life events/formal settings) → を機に. Also, attachment-wise, 「を機に」 directly takes a noun (結婚を機に); if the trigger is an action, 「をきっかけに」 more often uses 「〜ことをきっかけに」 to nominalize it, more colloquially natural.

Q: 「をきっかけに」「を中心に」「をはじめ」 are all 「を ＋ noun ＋ に」 — how do I learn them at once?

They share a structure but their core concepts differ entirely; remember by “what role the noun plays”:

① をきっかけに = the noun is ‘a trigger, a turning point' — after some event, a change follows because of it: 入院をきっかけに、健康に気をつけるようになった (triggered by a hospital stay, I began minding my health — “hospital stay” triggered “minding health”). Its role is “the start of change.”

② を中心に = the noun is ‘a core, a center' — others distribute/unfold around it: 東京を中心に、鉄道網が広がる (the rail network spreads centered on Tokyo — “Tokyo” is the core, others around it). Its role is “the core.”

③ をはじめ = the noun is ‘a representative, a lead example' — the most representative of a group, with a series following: 東京をはじめ、名古屋・大阪など大都市 (big cities led by Tokyo, plus Nagoya, Osaka, etc. — “Tokyo” is the representative, a series follows). Its role is “a listed representative.”

In one line: をきっかけに = trigger (sets off change), を中心に = core (others around), をはじめ = representative (listing a series). See whether the noun is “the trigger of change,” “the core others surround,” or “the representative of a series,” and you can slot it in. (〈を中心に〉〈をはじめ〉.)

🖊️ Practice Questions (5)

Q1. 「子供が生まれた___、健康に気を使うようになった。」(prompted by the child's birth)

(A) のをきっかけに　(B) どころか　(C) わりに　(D) ものの

Q2. 「をきっかけに」のより書面的な言い方は?

(A) を契機に　(B) をはじめ　(C) について　(D) によると

Q3. 「入院をきっかけにたばこをやめた」の意味は?

(A) Prompted by being hospitalized (as a turning point), quit smoking

(B) Smoked in order to be hospitalized

(C) Hospitalization and quitting smoking are unrelated

(D) Started smoking while hospitalized

Q4. 「をきっかけに」が表すのは?

(A) With ~ as the trigger, prompting a subsequent change/action

(B) Although ~, yet

(C) Even if ~

(D) Regardless of ~

Q5. 動詞接法が正しいのは?

(A) 旅行したのをきっかけに、興味を持った。　(B) 旅行するをきっかけに。

(C) 旅行をきっかけにのに。　(D) 旅行してをきっかけ。

Answer Explanations

1. (A) のをきっかけに ── Prompted by the child's birth.

2. (A) を契機に ── More formal/written.

3. (A) ── Quit smoking prompted by hospitalization (as a turning point).

4. (A) ── With ~ as the trigger, prompting a subsequent change.

5. (A) ── For verbs, nominalize with 「のを」 ＋ きっかけに.