The Wisdom of Japanese Proverbs!

TOKYO – Proverbs, which might be called distilled folklore, are apparently indigenous to all cultures, and often reveal more about the philosophy and psychology of a people than what they are generally given credit for.

Japanese culture is especially rich in kotowaza (koh-toh-wah-zah) or proverbs not only because it is ancient and has been very sophisticated for a long time, but also because of the influence of Shintoism, Buddhism, Taoism and Zen Buddhism -- all of which (many say) are more philosophically and metaphysically profound than Christianity.

Still, the most profound proverbs, with only slightly different wording, can be found in virtually all old cultures -- an obvious sign of the universality of humanity, despite racial and cultural differences. Some examples of Japanese proverbs:

Oya kohkoh wo shitai toki ni oya wa nashi. (Oh-yah koh-koh oh she-tie nee oh-yah nah-she) By the time children realize the virtue of their parents and what they owe to them, the parents are gone.

Oya no iken to hiya zake wa ato de kiku. (Oh-yah no ee-kane toh he-yah zah-kay wah ah-toh day kee-kuu.) Just as it takes time for cold sake to make one pleasantly mellow, it takes time for children to recognize the wisdom of their parents.

Kawaii ko ni wa tabi wo saseyo! (Kah-wah-ee koh nee wah tah-bee oh sah-say-yoh!)
Parents should let their children experience some of the hardships of life for their own good.

Atama hagete mo uwaki wa yamanu. (Ah-tah-mah hah-gay-tay moh uu-wah-kee wah yah-mah-nuu.) A bald head does not stop philandering.

Bijin ni toshi nashi. (Bee-jeen nee toh-she nah-she.) Beautiful women have no age.

Deru kui wa utareru. (Day-rue kuu-ee wah uu-tah-ray-rue.) A protruding nail (or person!) gets hammered down. (Still basically true in Japanese society.)

Hyaku bun ikken ni shikuzu. (He’yah-kuu boon eek-kane nee she-kuu-zuu.) Hearing 100 times is not as good as seeing once. (Ask any traveler!)

I no naka no kawazu, takai wo shirazu. (Ee no nah-kah no kah-wah-zuu, tah-kigh oh she-rah-zuu.) A frog in a well does not know the ocean. (A narrow mind equates very well with a well.)

Kunshi hyohen. (Koon-she he’yoh-hane.) A wise man changes his mind.

Musume o miru yori, haha wo miyo. (Muu-sue-may oh me-rue yoh-ree, hah-hah oh me-yoh.) Look at the mother instead of the daughter. (Many husbands wish they had.)

Sake wa honshin wo arawasu. (Sah-kay wah hoan-sheen wo ah-rah-wah-sue.) People reveal their true selves when drunk. (Belief in this saying is the reason why it is common for Japanese to go out of their way to get new colleagues and business contacts drunk at the first opportunity.)

Makeru ga kachi. (Mah-kay-rue gah kah-chee) He who is defeated wins. (Look at Japan today!)

Ju yoku go wo seisu. (Juu yoh-kuu go oh say-ee-sue) Win by yielding. (The secret of aikido.)

Kane areba baka mo danna. (Kah-nay ah-ray-bah bah-kah moh dahn-nah) With money a fool can be a lord. (Need we say more!)

Binbo nin no ko takusan. (Bean-boh neen no koh tock-sahn) Poor people have many children.

Tabi no haji wa kakisute. (Tah-bee no hah-jee wah kah-kee-sue-tay) Travelers have no shame. (They do things they wouldn’t do at home.)

Business people dealing with Japan, as well as recreational travelers, can get a lot of mileage out of their relationships with the Japanese by now and then tossing a well-known kotowaza into their conversations. Of course, it had better fit!

Recommended source: Even a Stone Buddha Can Talk: Wit and Wisdom of Japanese Proverbs. Available from Amazon.com.

Copyright © 2007 by Boye Lafayette De Mente
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Boye Lafayette De Mente has been involved with Japan, Korea, China and Mexico since the late 1940s as a member of a U.S. intelligence agency, student, journalist, and editor. He is the author of more than 50 books on these countries, including the first books ever on the Japanese way of doing business: Japanese Etiquette & Ethics in Business, first published in 1959, and How to Do Business in Japan, published in 1961.

To see a complete list of his titles [each one linked to Amazon.com’s buy page], go to his personal website: http://www.phoenixbookspublishers.com/.