Proverb / Kotowaza
灯台下暗し
It is difficult to notice things that are right under your nose or close to you.
It is dark at the base of the lamp stand
Quick Answer
It is difficult to notice things that are right under your nose or close to you.
- Literal Image
- It is dark at the base of the lamp stand
- Closest Equivalent
- The darkest place is under the candlestick
- How to Use It
- Used when someone overlooks something obvious nearby, such as finding a lost item right in front of them or realizing a neighbor or family member was involved in an event they were investigating.
Meaning
Just as the area directly beneath an old oil lamp stand remains dark because the light cannot reach it, people fail to notice things that are very close to them. It serves as a reminder that we can be surprisingly unaware of our immediate surroundings or the circumstances of those closest to us.
Literal Image
It is dark at the base of the lamp stand
Equivalent Proverbs
The darkest place is under the candlestick
Uses an identical image of a light source being dark at its base.
How to Use It
Used when someone overlooks something obvious nearby, such as finding a lost item right in front of them or realizing a neighbor or family member was involved in an event they were investigating.
Tone
Neutral and reflective.
Examples
探していた書類が自分の机の上にあった。灯台下暗しとはこのことだ。
The documents I was looking for were on my own desk. It's just as they say: it is dark at the base of the lamp stand.
灯台下暗しで、近所にこんな名店があるとは知らなかった。
Being unaware of what's close by, I didn't realize there was such a shop in my neighborhood.
犯人は身内にいた。灯台下暗しとはまさにこのことだ。
The culprit was a family member. It really was a case of overlooking what was right in front of us.
Learning Notes
Key Vocabulary
Uses basic kanji but the specific reading 'moto' and the classical 'kurashi' ending require idiomatic knowledge.
灯台
とうだい / todai
lamp stand (old indoor lighting)
下
もと / moto
base; underneath
暗し
くらし / kurashi
is dark (classical terminal form)
Usage Profile
Misread Risk
While 'todai' now means lighthouse, in this proverb it originally refers to a small indoor oil lamp stand used in old Japan.
Search As
Related Proverbs
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.