Japanese Proverbs: Wit and Wisdom: 200 Classic Japanese Sayings and Expressions

by David Galef, Jun Hashimoto (Illustrations)

"Destroy a nation, but its mountains and rivers remain."-- Japanese proverb

This is a collection of 200 Japanese proverbs with illustrations and explanations for each saying.

Japanese Wit and Wisdom is a delightfully illustrated compilation of traditional Japanese sayings and maxims. Some of the classic Japanese quotes and quotations, like "Fall down seven times, get up eight," capture the dogged perseverance of the Japanese heart. Others, such as "A red lacquer dish needs no decoration" illuminate both a universal truth and Japan's unique, aesthetic traditions. Japanese Wit and Wisdom has proverbs of great cultural significance as well as proverbs on matters of daily life and customs.

Pleasing to expert and new-comer alike, the 200 traditional proverbs in this unique collection are presented in Japanese calligraphy form, along with direct English translations. Similar proverbs are given from English, and the sumi-e style ink drawings are a delight in their own right.

Amateurs and Japanese language enthusiasts alike will speak Japanese with the verve and nuance of a native when they use these apt and witty expressions.

Genres: Japanese Literature, Nonfiction, Japan, Philosophy, Language, Reference, Literature

224 pages, Paperback

First published October 10, 2012

About the author

I’ve published extremely short fiction in the collections Laugh Track and My Date with Neanderthal Woman (Dzanc Short Story Collection Prize), extremely long fiction in the novels Flesh, Turning Japanese, and How to Cope with Suburban Stress (Kirkus Best Books of the Year), and a lot in between. My latest is Brevity: A Flash Fiction Handbook, from Columbia University Press. Day job: professor of English and creative writing program director at Montclair State University. I’m also the editor in chief at Vestal Review, the longest-running flash fiction magazine on the planet.
@dgalef
https://davidgalef.com/
https://www.vestalreview.net/

Reviews

[Dgg32 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book quite short but surely interesting. However, both the Japanese parts and romanization parts contain errors. For readers without Japanese knowledge, these errors are dangerous.

[Monique · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent quotes and cartoons, but the English explanations generally SUCKED. The author made complicated and awkward translations, that focused too much on literal sense rather than delivering the whole idea or culture behind a popular saying. If it wasn't for my Japanese partner to explain the deeper meanings and inner nuances of each saying, I'd have struggled immensely to grasp the book.
3 stars for: good, but could be better.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun book, although some of the translations seem off to me. Galef seems to have tried to force association with English proverbs a little too much in some cases. I think it would take asking a native speaker to find out if my suspicions are correct.

There are 200 Japanese proverbs in this book, each with a picture and a short description. I had dreams of memorizing my favorites, but without an opportunity to use them I forget them quickly.

Some of my favorites are
Koubou ni mo fude no ayamari - Even Koubou (a renowed calligrapher) makes a mistake with his brush
Ishibotoko mo mono wo iu - Even a stone Buddha would say something (enough to try the patience of a saint)
Nana korobi, ya oki - fall down seven times, get up eight

[Lia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It has a proverb written in Japanese, then its Romaji version (romanized spelling of the Japanese words) as well as a literal translation of it and an equivalent in English language. The comments were absolutely needed because most of the proverbs are based on the Japanese culture and history that many readers will not be familiar with.

It’s a nice little collection of human’s wit and a perfect way of reflecting nation’s concerns and fears. As the historian and translator Edward Seidendticker said about the proverbs in the foreword, ‘…They are akin to cliches, but they are different from cliches in that they have a touch of poetry.’

Illustrations are also a bonus. They are done in a humorous manner, which adds certain charm.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

The epitome of a bathroom book. (Or, for more refined readers, a coffee table book.) Five months on and I can't remember one expression from this, but it was interesting enough for a few moments at a time.

Perhaps if I understood/read/spoke more Japanese, so that it'd be more feasible for me to realistically integrate these into a conversation, this would have been more absorbing and helpful for me. As it is, I have a hard time figuring out where to drop a platitude--which may carry a host of cultural connotations left unexplained by the book--into my conversation with the person who is handing me my receipt.

[Denise みか Hutchins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this book did have plenty of my nemesis, romaji (occasionally typo-ridden, even), the beautiful, fun, energetic illustrations and the extremely interesting information presented by the writing soothed my usual annoyance. I particularly loved the way the author compared the Japanese proverbs to Western sayings and to other Japanese proverbs, both those that mirrored and those that contrasted with the case in question. I even learned the origin of some Western sayings from this book! It was also nice that the author noted when a proverb wasn't well-known or in common usage in Japan. Definitely a book I'll be keeping in my library for future reference.

[Rrlgrrl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found a lot of classic Japanese proverbs in this book, but I particularly was grateful that the author included older proverbs that are no longer used these days. There are a lot of similarities to Western proverbs, but just repackaged in a slightly different way. Loved all the illustrations - very cheeky!

[Patricia Ripoll · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick reading. Interesting to understand Japanese culture through their proverbs and also to realize that some proverbs are universal (different words, objets or cases to describe it but same meaning)

[Christy Weatherholtz-Morales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great way to start the day! Some were spot on and others put a smile on my face.

[Tricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Time and tested wisdom

[May · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really cute, insightful book filled with little wise expressions. Nice to flip through at the end of the day, enjoying the drawings and sagacious sayings just before bedtime.

[Ian Williamson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining quick read. Was helpful for my japanese studies too. Cute illustrations too.

[Zachary Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

”Break your bones and earn only exhaustion.”

Has a good time with this as it was incredibly interesting to see how many Japanese proverbs have western equivalents! Also appreciate the art that accompanied each one. That being said there were a handful of proverbs that didn’t do much for me and a handful more that have vanished from my memory in the few weeks that have passed since finishing this book. Still check it out though!

Favorite Proverbs
-You can't eat the rice cake in a picture.
-The child of a frog is a frog
-Ten men, ten tastes
-Those who depart are forgotten, day by day
-Big fish do not live in small ponds.
-A full belly is not the stomach of a scholar.
-The blind do not fear snakes.
-There is no shortcut to scholarship
-One's residence affects one's mood.
-Even pockmarks may look like dimples.
-Devils, too, live alongside the temple.
-A person bitten by a snake will fear a rotted rope.
-Raindrops will wear through a stone.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Japanese Proverbs is a fun book with translations of various proverbs along with their English equivalents and some historical notation/observation added in. There are 200 proverbs in total and cover various concepts, though in no way would the book be considered comprehensive. It's mostly for entertainment value, which it does well, including little cartoon illustrations that coincide with each of the proverbs. This was originally two books by Galef -- When Monkeys Fall from Trees; Even A Stone Buddha Can Talk -- now compiled into one. It's an informative bit of light reading for the student of Japanese or just someone with interest in Japanese culture.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid book of its type. Provided me with plenty of new vocabulary to study. Amusing, but without a huge amount of re-readability, except as reference material