Japanese Proverbs About Warnings & Caution

Excessive or immoderate drinking and eating.

Firmly adhering to old customs, traditions, or personal opinions without willingness to change.

To make a mistake at the start of a process that leads to later complications or misunderstandings.

Giving something valuable to someone who cannot appreciate its worth is a waste.

Always be prepared for a potential crisis even during peaceful or prosperous times.

Responding to violence with further violence, or engaging in a brutal struggle between those closely related.

Remaining silent is sometimes more valuable than speaking eloquently.

A situation where orders or policies are changed so that they become unreliable.

Sincere advice is difficult to hear and hard to accept.

Great events or major problems originate from minor causes.

Small details must be handled carefully when pursuing a big goal, or small things may be sacrificed for a larger objective.

When a man steps out into society to work or lead a life, he will inevitably encounter many rivals and obstacles.

Something redundant or unnecessary that provides no benefit and may even spoil the result.

Those who stand out or excel are envied, obstructed, or criticized by others.

Once you have started something—even if it is bad or dangerous—you should see it through to the end.

Making decisions and taking action on one's own without consulting others.

Starting preparations only after a problem has already occurred.

Scrambling to prepare or take measures only after a problem has already occurred.

If you do not plan for the distant future, you will certainly face trouble in the near future.

Help that is far away cannot provide relief for an immediate emergency.

To end up with something of poor quality despite careful selection or being overly picky.

An insincere or forced smile used by a person to hide their true intentions or feelings.

Becoming so accustomed to luxury that one treats once-precious or expensive things with indifference or carelessness.

Expresses a conflict where one desires something attractive but is held back by the fear of associated risks.

Once something is done, it cannot be undone.

To be terrified by even the slightest sound or sign of something.

Indicates a tense atmosphere where major events, disturbances, or social upheavals are imminent.

A critical term for wisdom or opinions offered by someone only after an event or failure has concluded.

Malicious guessing or suspicious speculation by a person of low character.

Knowing the right thing to do but failing to act on it is proof of cowardice.

An expression used to describe something so outrageous, absurd, or inexcusable that it cannot be put into words.

Ordinary people grasp only a small part of a great matter and fail to see the big picture.

Describes being in an extremely dangerous situation or a precarious position that requires extreme caution.

To exaggerate a trivial matter into something significant or serious.

Doing work too quickly results in poor quality.

A natural omen signaling coming war, disaster, or grave danger to a ruler.

Good things are prone to being interrupted by obstacles.

To take a story with skepticism by only believing about half of what is said.

The stomach is an integral part of your body, so overeating will damage your health.

Describing something so poor in quality or lacking in merit that it is completely useless and impossible to handle.

Becoming excessively fearful of harmless things that resemble a past traumatic experience.

Great power and military might can ironically lead to destruction through overconfidence.

To make a bad or intense situation even worse by taking an action that fans the flames.

To curry favor with or flatter a superior.

Favoring someone excessively can unintentionally harm them or damage their reputation.

A rash and reckless form of bravery that lacks foresight or discretion.

Losing everything to someone after offering them a small favor.

It is impossible to stop people from gossiping or spreading rumors.