Japanese Proverbs With Meaning for a Good Life

Japanese Proverbs inspire people to live a good life and motivate others. These famous sayings from Japan give so many learning lessons that will keep you going in life. They showcase the Japanese culture and how these people live happily. In Japanese proverbs are known as ‘kotowaza’ and are inspirational that will keep on improving your life. Here, we will discuss the Japanese proverbs with meanings that are filled with ancient wisdom. 

Must Read: 100+ Common Proverbs with Meaning and Examples

Popular Japanese Proverbs with Explanation

The Japanese Proverbs are motivational phrases that keep you motivated whenever you read them. You can use them in your conversation to make it more interesting and effective. If you want to learn more about Japanese culture and its influence then you must read these proverbs. Let’s discuss some Japanese Proverbs with explanations that will help you understand their meaning properly.

List of Proverbs	Explanation
Fall seven times and stand up eight	The Japanese Proverb means that you should never give hope in your life. As many times you fall or lose you should stand up with courage.
The adept hawk hides its claws	Just like the hawk hides its claws one must keep their special abilities a secret until there is an urgent requirement for it.
A frog in the well does not know the ocean	The Japanese saying that explains a limited experience in life cannot help you understand the broader perspective of life. You have to keep on changing places to gain different experiences.
Even monkeys fall from trees	Even the more skilful and talented people make mistakes just like monkeys who have mastered living in trees but sometimes fall from them.
Silence is golden	The Japanese proverb explains the importance of silence in the life of people. It is important to say nothing than to speak something bad or hurtful.

Classic Japanese Proverbs that Teach Life Lessons

Some common Japanese Proverbs that are usually spoken in the Japanese language were translated into English. It is done so that every audience can understand it and learn something from it. The simple sayings that were passed down from one generation to another advise on life. These powerful proverbs are based on practical experiences that perfectly reflect the values and beliefs.

He who runs after two hares will catch neither

A person who focuses on two goals at a time will not be able to achieve any. Hence, it is important to think of achieving one goal at a time and work with full dedication to reach there. Focusing on two things at a time will only leave you confused and puzzled. 

Spilt water won’t go back into its tray

The thing that has already happened whether it is good or bad cannot be corrected. It is better to forget the things that you can’t get or have already gone out of your hands. Hence, it is important to focus on the present situation. 

There is victory in losing

Losing something does not mean that you have lost everything as it will have some positives associated with it. Facing failure helps you learn from mistakes and become stronger so that you come back better the next time.

The winds of tomorrow will blow tomorrow

The Japanese proverb emphasizes that the problem of tomorrow should not affect your today. You must not think about what is going to come your way in the future so it is important to focus on the present. Additionally, you should not worry about the problematic things that you will face in the future just find a way to solve the issues of the present.

What goes around comes around

The proverb tells us that one should perform good deeds in life as what goes around comes around. If you do good to others in life then you will also receive the same at some point in your life. However, if you do bad to others then in the same way you have to face the consequences of it someday. 

Dig your own grave

The Japanese proverb that explains it is important to avoid foolishness in life. If you do foolish things in life then you will one day will fall bad. So, it is crucial to do the work after thinking properly about it.  Nobody should push themselves in danger by doing foolish acts that are of no use to them but cause harm.

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