1.
the curtain rises (at a theater)
Literal use: the stage curtain goes up at the start of a play, concert, or similar performance.
幕が上がった。
The curtain rose.
午後7時に幕が上がる。
The curtain rises at 7 p.m.
会場の照明が落ち、いよいよ幕が上がった。
The lights in the hall dimmed, and at last the curtain rose.
2.
to begin; to get underway; to open (of a major event or era)
Figurative use: a significant event, era, or contest begins — a tournament, a new political era, a project, a campaign. Carries a ceremonial or dramatic tone, framing the beginning as a public unfolding.
新しい時代の幕が上がった。
The curtain has risen on a new era.
選挙戦の幕が上がった。
The election campaign has gotten underway.
全国の注目を集める大会の幕が上がろうとしている。
The tournament, which has drawn attention from all over the country, is about to get underway.
Literally 'the curtain goes up', referring to the rising of a stage curtain at the start of a performance. Widely used figuratively for the dramatic opening of any large event, contest, or era.
USAGE:
- The figurative use is much more common in writing and news than the literal theatrical use.
- Often takes a noun marked by の as its subject: 大会の幕が上がる, 新しい時代の幕が上がる.
- Frequently appears with いよいよ ('at last'), ついに ('finally'), or {ようやく} for dramatic effect.
- The opposite is 幕が下りる ('the curtain falls') or 幕を閉じる ('to close; to come to an end'), used for conclusions.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 大会の幕が上がる: the tournament gets underway
- 新しい時代の幕が上がる: a new era begins
- いよいよ幕が上がる: the curtain is about to rise at last
- 選挙戦の幕が上がる: the election campaign gets underway
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 幕が下りる: the curtain falls — the direct opposite, used when something ends.
- 幕を開ける: to open the curtain; to begin an event — transitive counterpart; used when someone officially opens an event.
- 開幕する: to open; to start (of a season or event) — a more compact noun-verb with similar meaning; very common in sports reporting.
- 始まる: to begin — the plain, everyday verb without the dramatic framing.