Japanese Proverbs

By Taisen Deshimaru,Penguin/Arkana

Like people everywhere, the Japanese have their favorite proverbs.

Listed below are some of my favorites:



Hito wa mikake ni yoranu mono.
People are not what they appear to be.
Akujo no fuka-nasake.

Ugly women are more passionate. 
Akusai wa hyakunen no fusaka.

A bad wife is 100 years of bad harvests.
Atama hagetemo uwaki wa yamanu.

Philandering is not stopped by a balding head.
Au wa wakare no hajime.

Meeting is the beginning of parting.
Bijin ni toshi nashi.

Beautiful women have no age.
Deru kui wa utareru.

A protuding nail gets hammered down.
Edo no kataki wo Nagasaki de utsu.

Take revenge in an unexpected place.
Go ni irite wa go ni shitagae.

When in a village, do as the villagers do.
Hanzai no kage ni onna ari.

There is a woman in the shadow of every crime.
Hyakubun ikken ni shikazu.

Hearing 100 times is not as good as seeing once.
I no naka no kawazu, Takai o shirazu.

A frog in the well does not know the ocean.
Ju yoku go o seisu.

Win by yeilding.
Kane areba baka mo danna.

With money a fool can be a lord.
Kunshi hyohen.

A wise man changes his mind.
Makeru ga kachi.

He who is defeated wins.
Masume o miru yori, haha o miyo

Look at the mother instead of the daughter.
Sake wa honshin o arawasu

People review their true selves when drunk.
Tabi no haji wa kakisute

Travelers are shameless.
Wa-kon Yo-sai.

Western knowledge with Japanese spirit.

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