1.
foot of a mountain, foothills
The broad, gently sloping area at the base of a mountain or volcano.
富士山の裾野は広い。
The foothills of Mount Fuji are vast.
山の裾野に小さな村がある。
There is a small village at the foot of the mountain.
裾野に広がる草原で牛が放牧されていた。
Cattle were grazing on the grasslands that spread across the foothills.
2.
base, breadth, range (figurative)
Used figuratively to describe the broad base or wide reach of something, such as the range of people involved in an industry or the spread of a trend.
この産業の裾野は広い。
This industry has a broad base.
ゲーム産業の裾野が広がっている。
The reach of the gaming industry is expanding.
裾野の広い技術分野では、多くの企業が関わっている。
In a technology field with a wide base, many companies are involved.
KANJI: 裾 means hem/skirt/bottom edge; 野 means field/plain. Together they describe the "hem" or bottom edge of a mountain spreading out like fabric.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 裾野が広い: to have a broad base (literal and figurative)
- 裾野を広げる: to broaden the base/reach
- 山の裾野: the foot of the mountain
NOTE: Also the name of a city (裾野市) in Shizuoka Prefecture, located at the foot of Mount Fuji.