The tsunami and earthquake of Japan caused a tremendous amount of devastation that is still wreaking havoc on the country. In situations like this, a few Japanese proverbs come to mind.<\/p>\n
\u6ce3\u304d\u9762\u306b\u8702<\/strong> = Nakitsura ni hachi<\/p>\n This proverb is very apt in this situation because it means that misfortune rarely comes in a single blow. If it wasn\u2019t bad enough for the tsunami and earthquake alone, the worry over nuclear contamination is another setback that the Japanese people have to deal with. In English, this proverb is similar to the saying \u00a0\u201cwhen it rains, it pours\u201d. \u6ce3\u304d\u9762<\/strong> means \u201ctearful face\u201dwhile\u8702<\/strong> <\/strong>means \u201cbee\u201d. So this proverb literally means \u201csorrow in addition to pain\u201d. The sorrow refers to the \u201ctearful face\u201d and the \u201cbee\u201d refers to the sting or the pain of the sting. It\u201ds similar to the English saying \u201cadding insult to injury.\u201d<\/p>\n Another Japanese proverb that comes to mind is:<\/p>\n \u3042\u3055\u306e\u3053\u3046\u304c\u3093\u3001\u3086\u3046\u3079\u306e\u306f\u3063\u3053<\/strong>\u3064<\/strong> = asa no kougan, y\u016bbe no hakkou<\/p>\n \u3042\u3055\u306e\u3053\u3046\u304c\u3093<\/strong>means \u201crosy cheeks of the morning\u201d while \u3086\u3046\u3079\u306e\u306f\u3063\u3053<\/strong>\u3064<\/strong> literally means \u201cskeletons of the evening\u201d. In other words, this proverb is describing the fragility of life by showing that even a youth (rosy cheeks) who was healthy and in his\/her prime can end up as a skeleton within a single day. This proverb applies to the situation in Japan as well. Before the tsunami and earthquake hit, people were going on with their daily lives, but now there are some people in Japan who find themselves without housing, food and their loved ones.<\/p>\n This is a proverb that applies especially to Japanese people:<\/p>\n \u96e8\u964d<\/strong>\u3063\u3066<\/strong>\u5730\u56fa<\/strong>\u307e\u308b<\/strong> = Ame futte ji katamaru<\/p>\n \u96e8\u964d<\/strong> means \u201crainfall\u201d and\u5730\u56fa<\/strong> means \u201cfoundation\u201d. So literally this proverb means that constant rainfall strengthens the foundation. In other words, adversity (rainfall) will strenthen one\u2019s character (foundation). Although Japan is one of the world\u2019s most advanced nations, it wasn\u2019t always like that in the past. After World War II and after the bombs were dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima, Japan was a struggling nation dealing with poverty and famine. However seventy years after WWII, Japan has rose to become one of the leading nations in the world. It\u2019s true that this recent disaster has temporarily damaged Japan, but because Japanese people have a strong work ethic, this tragedy will be overcome; much like the aftermath of WWII.<\/p>\n This next proverb applies not just to the recent disaster in Japan, but in life in general:<\/p>\n \u4e03\u8ee2<\/strong>\u3073<\/strong>\u516b\u8d77<\/strong>\u304d<\/strong> = Nanakorobi yaoki<\/p>\n \u4e03\u8ee2<\/strong>\u3073<\/strong> means to \u201cfall seven times\u201d and\u516b\u8d77<\/strong>\u304d<\/strong>means to \u201cstand up eight times\u201d. This proverb is used in times of difficulty as a way to encourage someone to never give up. It\u2019s like saying \u201cEven if you fall, do your best to try again\u201d. This proverb can be used in the current situation that Japan is facing. You can use this proverb to tell someone that there may be vast amount of destruction, but keep trying and never lose hope.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The tsunami and earthquake of Japan caused a tremendous amount of devastation that is still wreaking havoc on the country. In situations like this, a few Japanese proverbs come to mind. \u6ce3\u304d\u9762\u306b\u8702 = Nakitsura ni hachi This proverb is very apt in this situation because it means that misfortune rarely comes in a single blow…<\/p>\n