Meaning & Usage
をよそに (wo yoso ni) captures a specific kind of indifference: acting while deliberately pushing aside a concern that belongs to someone else. Common English equivalents include "ignoring ~," "despite ~," "regardless of ~," and "with no regard for ~"—though none quite conveys the critical edge the Japanese carries.
At its core, をよそに frames the subject as someone who acts as though a surrounding concern simply doesn't exist. The tone is almost always critical or ironic: the implication is that the ignored thing should have mattered. The ignored element is typically a negative social or emotional reality—a family's worry, public anger, an authority's warning, or the chaos of a deteriorating situation.
The word よそ means "another place" or "other people's affairs." The image behind をよそに: treating a concern as if it belongs elsewhere—pushing it out of one's field of view. That image explains the key difference from a simple "despite." をよそに is not a neutral logical contrast; it conveys an active, deliberate displacement of attention and responsibility.
をよそに is a written, formal expression. It appears in newspaper editorials, political commentary, literary prose, and formal essays. In casual speech, native speakers reach for lighter alternatives: ～に構わず (ni kamawazu) or ～を気にせず (wo ki ni sezu). Spotting をよそに in a text is itself a register signal—you are in formal or literary territory, and the author is making a pointed observation.
をよそに almost always involves relational tension: the concern belongs to someone other than the subject—parents, the public, a superior, or society at large. That external ownership is what gives the expression its critical undertone. Occasionally, though, the tone shifts toward admiration—describing someone who presses on despite widespread doubt or fear around them.
Structure & Formation
をよそに attaches only to nouns. It cannot directly follow verbs or adjectives. The noun preceding をよそに typically represents a concern, worry, opposition, expectation, warning, or state of affairs that the subject of the main clause chooses to ignore or act indifferently toward.
| Pattern | Japanese Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Noun + をよそに | 心配をよそに | ignoring the worry |
| Noun + をよそにして | 批判をよそにして | ignoring the criticism |
The form をよそにして (with して appended) is a grammatical variant with identical meaning. In modern written Japanese, the bare をよそに is more common; をよそにして puts slightly more stress on the deliberate, action-oriented quality of the indifference. Both are interchangeable on the JLPT.
Typical nouns used before をよそに include:
- 心配 — worry, concern
- 反対 — opposition
- 批判 — criticism
- 懸念 — apprehension, concern
- 期待 — expectation
- 警告 — warning
- 注意 — caution, admonition
- 騒ぎ — commotion, uproar
- 混乱 — chaos, turmoil
- 動揺 — agitation, unrest
- 怒り — anger
- 目 — gaze, eyes (i.e., social attention from others)
The main clause that follows describes the action being carried out despite or in disregard of the preceding noun. This clause is typically an action with a slightly ironic, critical, or at least surprising implication relative to the ignored concern.
Example Sentences
Family & Personal Relationships
親の心配をよそに、彼は一人で海外旅行に出かけた。
Oya no shinpai wo yoso ni, kare wa hitori de kaigai ryokou ni dekaketa.
Ignoring his parents' worries, he set off alone on an overseas trip.
両親の期待をよそに、彼は芸術家になることを選んだ。
Ryoushin no kitai wo yoso ni, kare wa geijutsuka ni naru koto wo eranda.
Regardless of his parents' expectations, he chose to become an artist.
家族の反対をよそに、彼は会社を辞めて起業した。
Kazoku no hantai wo yoso ni, kare wa kaisha wo yamete kigyou shita.
Despite his family's opposition, he quit his company and started his own business.
Social & Political Commentary
国民の怒りをよそに、政治家たちは増税を強行した。
Kokumin no ikari wo yoso ni, seijikatatachi wa zouzei wo kyoukou shita.
Ignoring the anger of the citizens, the politicians forcibly pushed through the tax increase.
世間の批判をよそに、彼女は自分の道を進み続けた。
Seken no hihan wo yoso ni, kanojo wa jibun no michi wo susumi tsuzuketa.
Ignoring the criticism of the world, she continued on her own path.
社会問題をよそに、メディアは芸能ニュースばかり報道している。
Shakai mondai wo yoso ni, media wa geinou nyuusu bakari houdou shite iru.
Ignoring social issues, the media covers nothing but entertainment news.
Health & Personal Conduct
医者の警告をよそに、彼は酒を飲み続けた。
Isha no keikoku wo yoso ni, kare wa sake wo nomi tsuzuketa.
Ignoring the doctor's warnings, he continued to drink.
健康への懸念をよそに、彼はタバコをやめなかった。
Kenkou e no kenen wo yoso ni, kare wa tabako wo yamenakatta.
Disregarding concerns about his health, he did not quit smoking.
先生の注意をよそに、学生たちは教室でゲームをしていた。
Sensei no chuui wo yoso ni, gakuseitachi wa kyoushitsu de geemu wo shite ita.
Ignoring the teacher's warnings, the students were playing games in class.
Broader Situations & Contrast
社会の混乱をよそに、彼らはパーティーを楽しんでいた。
Shakai no konran wo yoso ni, karera wa paatii wo tanoshinde ita.
Despite the chaos in society, they were enjoying a party.
戦争の危機をよそに、国民は平和な日常を過ごしていた。
Sensou no kiki wo yoso ni, kokumin wa heiwa na nichijou wo sugoshite ita.
Despite the risk of war, the citizens went about their peaceful daily lives.
会社の業績不振をよそに、役員たちは高額のボーナスを受け取った。
Kaisha no gyouseki fushin wo yoso ni, yakuintachi wa kougaku no boonasu wo uketotta.
Despite the company's poor performance, the executives received large bonuses.
周囲の動揺をよそに、彼女は冷静に対処した。
Shuui no douyou wo yoso ni, kanojo wa reisei ni taisho shita.
Despite the agitation of those around her, she dealt with the situation calmly.
周囲の反対をよそに、二人は結婚した。
Shuui no hantai wo yoso ni, futari wa kekkon shita.
Ignoring the opposition of those around them, the two got married.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Attaching をよそに Directly to a Verb
❌ 心配しているをよそに、彼は出かけた。
✅ 親の心配をよそに、彼は出かけた。
をよそに must be preceded by a noun. You cannot attach it directly to a verb form such as ～している. If the concept you want to express is verbal, nominalize it (e.g., using こと or の) or rephrase it as a noun. This is one of the most frequent errors learners make with this pattern.
Mistake 2: Confusing をよそに with にもかかわらず
❌ 天気の悪さをよそに、試合は行われた。
✅ 天気の悪さにもかかわらず、試合は行われた。
にもかかわらず is a neutral "despite" that contrasts two facts without implying blame or irony. をよそに, by contrast, requires a person or group actively ignoring something tied to human emotions, social expectations, or interpersonal pressure. When the ignored element is a neutral natural fact—bad weather, a physical obstacle—にもかかわらず is the right choice. Reserve をよそに for situations rooted in human feelings or social dynamics.
Mistake 3: Making the Subject Ignore Their Own Concern
❌ 自分の心配をよそに、自分は旅行した。
✅ 親の心配をよそに、彼は旅行した。
The concern placed before をよそに almost always belongs to someone other than the main subject. The pattern presupposes an external concern—something coming from other people, society, or the surrounding situation. Saying that you yourself are ignoring your own worry sounds unnatural and defeats the relational tension that makes をよそに meaningful.
Mistake 4: Using をよそに When the Main Clause Is Purely Positive
❌ 周囲の期待をよそに、彼は金メダルを取った。
✅ 周囲の不安をよそに、彼はオリンピックに挑戦した。
をよそに works best before a negative concern—opposition, worry, criticism, or a turbulent situation. 期待 (expectation) can appear, but only when the broader sentence still carries irony or tension. When the main clause is a clean positive achievement (winning a gold medal, landing a promotion), the pairing feels tonally off. In those cases, をものともせず or にもかかわらず tend to fit better.
Mistake 5: Missing the Implied Critical Tone
❌ Treating をよそに as a purely neutral "despite" and missing its evaluative weight ✅ Recognizing that をよそに implies the ignored concern deserved to be acknowledged
While "ignoring" or "despite" are helpful translations, をよそに carries a deeper evaluative implication: it signals that the ignored thing should have mattered. A sentence like 「国民の声をよそに政策を進めた」 does not neutrally describe parallel events — it strongly implies that ignoring the public's voice was wrong. Learners who miss this nuance can misread the author's stance in reading comprehension passages.
Cultural Notes
Japanese culture prizes 和 (wa)—group harmony—and the social skill of 空気を読む: "reading the air," or sensing a group's unspoken mood. Against that backdrop, をよそに carries real social weight. It marks someone who has violated an implicit social contract by acting as if others' concerns don't exist—and the expression itself carries that verdict.
This is why をよそに turns up so often in political commentary and editorial writing. A politician ignoring public anger, an executive brushing off poor results, a student defying a teacher's repeated warnings—in each case, writers reach for をよそに because it packs both the factual contrast and the moral critique into a single phrase.
Occasionally, をよそに shifts toward admiration—an artist or entrepreneur pressing on despite widespread doubt or skepticism. There the critical edge softens; the subject is not condemned for ignoring others but quietly praised for independence of spirit. The surrounding context always signals which reading the author intends.
You won't hear をよそに in everyday conversation—it's firmly formal. When you spot it in a text, treat it as a register flag: you're reading formal or literary Japanese, and the author is making a judgment, not just noting a contrast.
JLPT Tips
をよそに appears consistently in both the grammar selection section (問題5) and the grammar-in-context section (問題6) of the JLPT N1 exam. Two things determine the correct answer: what it attaches to, and what it implies.
The foundational rule: をよそに attaches only to nouns. If an answer choice shows をよそに following a verb or adjective form, eliminate it immediately—it's a trap. When the target sentence expresses a verbal concept before をよそに, the correct answer will use a nominalized form (こと、の, etc.).
On JLPT questions, をよそに is frequently paired as a distractor alongside にもかかわらず and をものともせず, because all three deal with contrast or opposition. Choosing correctly comes down to tone: をよそに = critical indifference toward human concerns; にもかかわらず = neutral "despite," applicable to any contrast; をものともせず = courageous, positive "undaunted by."
In reading comprehension, をよそに is a reliable marker of the author's critical or ironic stance. Attitude questions and implied-meaning questions often hinge on catching this tone. Treat をよそに as a neutral "despite" and you risk choosing an answer that misreads the passage's evaluative content.
Finally, をよそに and をよそにして are fully interchangeable on the exam. The presence or absence of して changes nothing. If two options differ only on this point, look elsewhere—the surrounding sentence will contain a grammatical difference that settles the question.