Hachigatsu-gejun-kara kugatsu-jōjun-ni kakete, shain-kenshū-o shimashita. (I gave employee training to staff members from late August to early September.)

Situation 1: At the office, Mr. Tian and one of his clients, Mr. Suzuki, are talking.

ティエン： 夏休みは、いかがでしたか。

鈴木： いやあ、夏休みどころではありませんでしたよ。 ８月下旬から９月上旬にかけて、社員研修をしましたので。

Tian: Natsuyasumi-wa, ikaga-deshita-ka?

Suzuki: Iyā, natsuyasumi-dokoro-de-wa arimasen-deshita-yo. Hachigatsu-gejun-kara kugatsu-jōjun-ni kakete, shain-kenshū-o shimashita-no-de.

Tian: How was your summer vacation?

Suzuki: Well, I hardly had a summer vacation, since I had to give employee training to staff from late August to early September.

Today we'll introduce some usages of the set phrase にかけて. In Situation 1, the pattern XからYにかけてexpresses the time range from X to Y. This pattern is used rather than XからYまで when X (start) and Y (end) are not as clear or exact. 上旬(じょうじゅん), 中旬(ちゅうじゅん) and 下旬(げじゅん) mean approximately the first, middle and last 10 days of the month, respectively. XからYにかけて can also be used for locations. The following example is a broadcast announcement: 明日(あす)は、東北(とうほく)地方 (ちほう)から北海道(ほっかいどう)にかけて、大雪(おおゆき)に見舞 (みま)われるでしょう (Tomorrow, heavy snow is expected from the Tohoku region to Hokkaido).

Situation 2: Ms. Tamachi is struggling to create a spreadsheet.

田町： この表計算、どうしてこうなっちゃうのかなあ。

三田： どれどれ、ぼくに聞いてごらん。エクセルにかけては、ぼくの右に出る者はいないよ。

Tamachi: Kono hyō-keisan, dōshite kō natchau-no-kanā.

Mita: Doredore, boku-ni kiite-goran. Ekuseru-ni kakete-wa, boku-no migi-ni deru mono-wa inai-yo.

Tamachi: Why is this spreadsheet doing this?

Mita: Let me have a look. When it comes to using Excel, I'm in a league of my own.

In the pattern XにかけてはY, X (noun) is the topic and Y is the phrase or clause about one's confidence or evaluation, as in 自信(じしん)がある (to have confidence), だれにも負(ま)けない (to be unbeatable), 定評(ていひょう)がある (to have an excellent reputation), etc. Z (a person)の右(みぎ)に出(で)る者(もの)はいない is a set phrase that basically means Z is the best or strongest.

Bonus Dialogue: At a coffee shop, Rika presents a bottle of French perfume to Yuri.

ゆり： 里香(りか)、ありがとう。めずらしい香水(こうすい)ね。ああ、いいにおい！

里香： 香水えらびにかけては、自信(じしん)があるんだ。

ゆり： 里香(りか)は香水の勉強(べんきょう)のためにフランスに行(い)ったんだものね。フランスと言(い)えば、今(いま)ごろ、セレはフランスにいるんだ...。

里香： ああ、ゆりのボーイフレンド、８月(はちがつ)末 (すえ)から11月(じゅういちがつ)半(なか)ばにかけて、海外(かいがい)出張(しゅっちょう)って言っていたね。

ゆり： うん。私(わたし)、心配(しんぱい)なの。フランスには、セレの昔(むかし)の彼女(かのじょ)がいるから...。

里香： 昔って、いつごろの？

ゆり： 高校(こうこう)の終(お)わりごろから大学(だいがく)のはじめぐらいにかけて親(した)しかったんだって。その後(あと)、セレは日本(にほん)の大学(だいがく)に来(き)たの。だけど、再会(さいかい)して、また親しくなったら...と思(おも)うと、心配で。

里香： 彼(かれ)、毎日(まいにち)スカイプで連絡(れんらく)してくるんでしょ。全然(ぜんぜん)心配(しんぱい) する必要(ひつよう)ないと思うけど。

Yuri: Thank you, Rika! A rare perfume. It smells so nice!

Rika: I'm pretty confident when it comes to choosing perfume.

Yuri: You went to France to study about perfume, didn't you? Speaking of France, Sere's there now.

Rika: Yes, you told me your boyfriend was on a business trip abroad from late August to mid-November.

Yuri: That's right. I'm worried because his ex-girlfriend is in France.

Rika: An ex-girlfriend from how far back?

Yuri: I heard they were together from the end of their high school days to the beginning of university. After that, Sere came to study at university in Japan. But it worries me to think what might happen if they reunite and get close again.

Rika: He's been contacting you on Skype every day, right? You have nothing to worry about.