#japanese quotes

[loxxscreens]

i rlly liked how these turned out! if anyone else requests a quote theme i might just do it :D

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disclaimer - these are mine! made them myself this time haha

[japanwords]

桜梅桃李 (o-bai-to-ri) “never compare yourself to others”

This yo-ji-juku-go (Japanese 4-character idiom) is comprised of 4 beloved Japanese trees. They are:

桜 = cherry (sakura)

梅 = apricot (ume)

桃 = peach (momo)

李 = plum (sumomo)

Each of these iconic trees blossoms in its own time and in its own unique way.

桜 (sakura) are of course the cherry blossom trees famous for blooming spectacularly and incredibly briefly once a year, usually in April. Sakura trees in full bloom is an annual event, and people go to their local park to see them, take photos, and have picnics underneath them. It's such a big deal that it's reported on the weather forecast, with reporters commenting on how quickly the "sakura front" is moving northwards across the country.

梅 (ume) is the "ume" in umeshu! This is a sweet liqueur which is made from soaking ume in sake. It tastes amazing, and is one of the things I miss most about Japan. Japanese learners will no doubt recognise "ume" as usually being translated as "plum", however it is technically closer to the Western apricot.

桃 (momo) is one of the best-loved fruits in Japan. There is even a fairy story called "Momo-taro" about a little boy who comes from inside a peach. He grows up to be a great hero, of course, and saves everyone from a demon. "Momo" is also a fairly common girls' name.

李 (sumomo) are known as "Japanese plums" or "Asian plums". The trees are famous for their delicate white flowers. They usually bloom just before the sakura. Whilst not as famous or as showy as sakura, they are well-loved for their elegance, and for being a sign of spring.

This one-off calligraphy artwork is available on my Etsy shop here:

[pxsieszn]

[anza-langblr]

晴れた初秋に多雨が次ぐ。 After a sunny early autumn, rainy days follow.

[sakkaira]

『愛されることはどんなに美しいことか。』

Romaji ¬ Aisareru koto wa don'na ni utsukushii koto ka.

Translation ¬ How beautiful it is to be loved.

[thequotegarden]

[dokushoclub]

I've already started another book in Japanese that I will post about soon, but the 本を守ろうとする猫の話 book hangover is real, so I'm posting a longer quote for you that stuck with me over the last month.

Context: Rintarō was raised by his grandfather who has just died. While he is still grieving, he starts going on adventures with a talking cat to save the books. On those adventures Rintarō is able to change some hearts by reflecting back on lessons his grandfather taught him when he was still alive. This is one of those lessons:

林太郎が学校を休みがちになり、がむしゃらに夏木書店の書棚をあさっていた頃のことだ。学校に嫌気がさしていた林太郎は、本の壁の中に閉じこもり、しだいに外界に対して興味を失って活字の世界だけに没入していった。そんな孫に、無口な祖父は珍しく言葉を重ねて告げた。 ”ただがむしゃらに本を読めば、その分だけ見える世界が広がるわけではない。どれほど多くの知識を詰め込んでも、お前が自分の足で歩かなければ、すべては空虚な借り物でしかないのだよ” 難しい言葉の連なりに首をかしげる孫を、祖父は静かな瞳で見返しながら、 ”本がお前の代わりに人生を歩んでくれるわけではない。自分の足で歩くことを忘れた本読みは、古びた知識で膨らんだ百科事典のようなものだ。誰かが聞いてくれなければ何の役にも立たない骨董品に過ぎない” 祖父は孫の頭をそっと撫でながら付けくわえた。 ”お前はただの物知りになりたいのか？[...]読むはよい。けれども読み終えたら、次は歩き出す時間だ” 夏川草介：本を守ろうとする猫の話 p47f

I though it was a very kind and gentle way for a grandfather who manages an antique book shop himself and who certainly is a book worm just as much as his grandson to reach out to a young boy who was on the verge of shutting himself off completely.

I also think it's generally good advice: Read your books and then walk with the new knowledge and experiences for a while. See were it will lead you and give it space to influence how you see the world around you.

[wuthering-high]

There's a Japanese phrase that I like: koi no yokan. I doesn't mean love at first sight. It's closer to love at second sight. It's the feeling when you meet someone that you're going to fall in love with them. Maybe you don't love them right away, but it's inevitable that you will.

[polishchuk]

[insomniacflorist]

"So, we began our travels knowing nothing, least of all where we were going."

― Keiichi Sigsawa, Kino no Tabi: The Beautiful World

[pjap]

“   きっと成功してみせる、と決心する事が何よりも重要だ。”

Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other.

[kerosenecreek]

[japanwords]

桜梅桃李 (o-bai-to-ri) “never compare yourself to others”

This yo-ji-juku-go (Japanese 4-character idiom) is comprised of 4 beloved Japanese trees. They are:

桜 = cherry (sakura)

梅 = apricot (ume)

桃 = peach (momo)

李 = plum (sumomo)

桜 (sakura) are of course the cherry blossom trees famous for blooming spectacularly and incredibly briefly once a year, usually in April. Sakura trees in full bloom is an annual event, and people go to their local park to see them, take photos, and have picnics underneath them. It's such a big deal that it's reported on the weather forecast, with reporters commenting on how quickly the "sakura front" is moving northwards across the country.

梅 (ume) is the "ume" in umeshu! This is a sweet liqueur which is made from soaking ume in sake. It tastes amazing, and is one of the things I miss most about Japan. Japanese learners will no doubt recognise "ume" as usually being translated as "plum", however it is technically closer to the Western apricot.

桃 (momo) is one of the best-loved fruits in Japan. There is even a fairy story called "Momo-taro" about a little boy who comes from inside a peach. He grows up to be a great hero, of course, and saves everyone from a demon. "Momo" is also a fairly common girls' name.

李 (sumomo) are known as "Japanese plums" or "Asian plums". The trees are famous for their delicate white flowers. They usually bloom just before the sakura. Whilst not as famous or as showy as sakura, they are well-loved for their elegance, and for being a sign of spring.

[maineblogpost]

[anza-langblr]

冬は海辺で色とりどりの貝殻を拾い、夏は静かに舞い落ちる雪を眺めたいものだ。 In winter, I want to gather colorful seashells on the beach, and in summer, I want to gaze at snow falling softly down to the ground.

[sakkaira]

『まぁ、いいか。人生の次の章へ進む時だ。』

Romaji ¬ Maa, iika. Jinsei no tsugi no shou (h)e susumu toki da.

Translation ¬ Well, whatever. It's time to move onto the next chapter in life.