Japanese Proverbs About Money and Work

Live within your means by calculating your income before deciding on your expenses.

People can only afford to care about manners and social decorum once their basic material needs are met.

If you ridicule or waste even a tiny amount of money, you will eventually suffer for the lack of it.

To become accustomed to a role or position, so that one's behavior appears completely natural.

A seemingly safe situation can actually be adjacent to grave danger.

The top priority or most important issue.

Parents will not live forever, and money will not last indefinitely.

It can be more advantageous to be a minor member of a prestigious group than the leader of an insignificant one.

To produce everything one needs by oneself without relying on others.

To be so extremely busy that one would welcome help from anyone, even a cat.

Accept a small loss now in order to achieve a much larger gain in the future.

Receiving unexpected good fortune or profit without making any effort.

Time is precious and should not be wasted because it is as valuable as money.

Buying cheap items leads to extra expenses because they break easily or are of poor quality.