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Category Archives: Kotowaza
Next verse, same as the first
二の舞を演じる (Ni no mai wo enjiru; “to dance the second dance”) Definition: Committing someone else’s previous errors, even with the awareness of what has happened. Seeing someone fail, and then making the same mistakes. Breakdown: This simple phrase begins three … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged 舞楽, 雅楽, failure to learn from the past, Heian court, repeated errors, song and dance, 二の舞
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As you sow, so shall you reap… the opposite!
楽は苦の種苦は楽の種 (Raku wa ku no tane ku wa raku no tane; “Ease is the seed of hardship; hardship is the seed of ease”) Definition: If you spend all your time taking things easy, you’ll fall on hard times later on … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged あればある, いろはカルタ, 苦の種, fruits of labor, Morgen Morgen nur nicht heute, procrastination, taking things easy, Unmitigated Pedantry, work and reward, 楽の種
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If you want good fruit, sleep on it
果報は寝て待て (Kahou wa nete mate; “For good fortune, sleep, wait.”) Definition: Good fortune will come of its own accord, in its own time, so it’s best to prepare and patiently wait for it rather than fretting or trying to force … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged Buddhism, 音便, Iroha karuta, karma, Kefukigusa, patience, working and waiting, 寝て待て, 果報, 毛吹草
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On the benefits of job security
Or ego security, perhaps. 名人は人を謗らず (Meijin wa hito wo soshirazu; “The master speaks not ill of others”) Definition: True masters of their art do not go out of their way to find fault with others. If you are an expert, … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged 謗る, mastery, self-confidence, Strategies of the Warring States, 名人, 戦国策
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Keep your debrief brief
敗軍の将は兵を語らず (Haigun no shou wa hei wo katarazu; “The defeated commander speaks not of war.”) Definition: Someone who has failed at something has no authority to speak on the topic; a defeated general should not give their opinions on warfare. … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged excuses, 謀る, lessons of defeat, Records of the Grand Historian, sore loser, 兵を語る, 史記, 史记, 敗軍の将
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The wascal of small minds
株を守りて兎を待つ (Kabu wo mamorite usagi wo matsu; “Watching a stump, awaiting a rabbit”) Definition: Being unable to advance because one is fruitlessly invested in old habits or customs, or in a strategy that was successful once but no longer applies. … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged Bugs Bunny, 韓非子, 韩非子, foolish consistency, magical thinking, one-off, rabbit, Song dynasty, 兎をうかがう, 兎を待つ, 株を守る
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Darkened minds are worse than darkened eyes
真の闇より無闇が怖い (Shin no yami yori muyami ga kowai; “Thoughtlessness is more frightening than pitch darkness”) Definition: Being caught in utter darkness is scary, because you can’t be sure where everything is, or even what actually is and isn’t there at … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged a clear choice, 無闇, 真の闇, darkness, the value of planning, thoughtless, 怖い
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A leaf on the wind; watch how it soars
一葉落ちて天下の秋を知る (Ichiyou ochite tenka no aki wo shiru; “A leaf falls, and one knows autumn”) Definition: Sensing something big coming on from a relatively minor hint. Understanding the future from the very first signs. Like realizing that fall is on … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged autumn, 秋を知る, 落ち葉, glimpses of the future, omens and portents, 桐一葉, 淮南子, 一葉
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landofnudotcom 
“It is useless to meet revenge with revenge; it will heal nothing.”
(J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King) 彼方を立てれば此方が立たず (Achira wo tatereba kochira ga tatazu; “If one raises that side, this side will not rise.”) Definition: It’s difficult, almost impossible, to get all sides of something equally accepting and happy about … Continue reading →