The Usefulness of Japanese Proverbs

Proverbs and folklore preserve the wisdom and hard-learned lessons of the common class. Both pass down orally, taking on regional flavors over time until someone comes along and writes them down. Proverbs, because of their pithiness and use of metaphor, tend to remain in regular speech long after folktales become literature. Sometimes proverbs become folded into superstition sayings, such as “See a pin, pick it up, and all day have good luck.” On the surface this seems silly. After all, picking...