Proverb / Kotowaza
開けて悔しき玉手箱
A metaphor for a result that is disappointing and falls short of one's high expectations.
The tamatebako (treasure box) that brings regret once opened
Quick Answer
A metaphor for a result that is disappointing and falls short of one's high expectations.
- Literal Image
- The tamatebako (treasure box) that brings regret once opened
- Closest Equivalent
- Pandora’s box
- How to Use It
- Use this expression when a highly anticipated event, a new job, or a purchased item turns out to be much less impressive or rewarding than expected.
Meaning
It describes a situation where someone approaches something with great anticipation, only to find that the actual outcome is a letdown. The expression captures the feeling of anti-climax and regret when the reality of a situation does not match the initial excitement.
Literal Image
The tamatebako (treasure box) that brings regret once opened
Equivalent Proverbs
Pandora’s box
While Pandora's box refers to unleashing unforeseen troubles, it is used here to compare the act of opening something that leads to an undesirable result.
How to Use It
Use this expression when a highly anticipated event, a new job, or a purchased item turns out to be much less impressive or rewarding than expected.
Tone
Expresses disappointment and a sense of anti-climax.
Examples
念願だった仕事に就いたが、実際は単調な作業ばかりで、まさに「開けて悔しき玉手箱」だった
I got the job I had been dreaming of, but in reality, it was nothing but monotonous tasks—it was truly a disappointing 'tamatebako' box.
Learning Notes
Key Vocabulary
The proverb uses the classical attributive form '-ki' for the adjective 'kuyashii' and references the specific terms 'tamatebako'.
開けて
あけて / akete
opening
悔しき
くやしき / kuyashiki
regretful (classical form)
玉手箱
たまてばこ / tamatebako
treasure box / legendary casket
Usage Profile
Usage note: This expression emphasizes the disappointment of the person who had the expectations.
Misread Risk
This does not mean the box itself is evil; it refers to the gap between high hopes and a poor reality.
Search As
Related Proverbs
Origin
The expression comes from the Japanese folk tale of Urashima Taro: Otohime gives him a tamatebako with a warning not to open it, and when the box is opened, he suddenly becomes an old man.
Index
Topics, Situations, and Tags
Topics
Situations
Tags
Source Note
Where did this entry get its data from? The reference links are listed below. To understand how to read this section, see Data Sources.