〜を機に: meaning and usage

How to form it

• noun+を機に（して）/を機として
• verb (plain form)+の+を機に

How it is used

'Taking A as the occasion': A is a turning point such as starting school, retirement, a move or an anniversary, and what follows is a deliberate start or change. More formal than 「をきっかけに」 and mostly used for decisions people make.

Examples

1. 地元を離れるのを機に髪を染めてみようと思う。

   I'm thinking of using my move away from my hometown as an opportunity to try dyeing my hair.

2. 父の還暦を機に、家族全員で写真を撮った。

   We took my father's sixtieth birthday as the occasion for a photo of the whole family.

3. 新年度を機に、オフィスの席の配置を変えることにした。

   We decided to use the start of the new business year to rearrange the seating in the office.