Ei-yu Gi-jin

英雄 (Ei-yu) is a hero. 欺 (Gi) is to deceive. 人 (Jin) is a person.
-->Literaly means "Heros decieve people"

Explaining;
Talented people do something beyond people's thoughts.

欺 (Gi) usually means to deceive, so we sometimes take this word bad mistakenly. However, this Japanese proverb should be used in a good way. In other words, you have to do beyond imagination to be heros like Galileo said the earth was moving, like Steve Jobs invented Ipod.

Ei-ko Sei-sui

栄 (Ei) is flourish. 枯 (Ko) is wither. 盛 (Sei) is flourish. 衰 (Sui) is dicline.
-->Literaly means "Flourish, wither, flourish, dicline.

Explaining;
like flux and reflux of tides nothing can flourish forever, will wither someday, but would flourish again.

Today's Sakura Japanese Proverb is expressing the structure of the world. Prosperity and Declining repeat after each other. It can be referred to countries, products, even people. Like Britney Spears?

U-o Sa-o

右 (U) is right. 往 (O) is go. 左 (Sa) is left. 往 (O) is go.
-->Literaly means "Go right, Go left"

Explaining;
Become panic. Go hither and thither.

If you don't know where to go, you might go right and go left and go left and go right.... This proverb catches the people's actual move. I do U-o Sa-o almost everyday unfortunately.

Umi-sen Yama-sen

海 (Umi) is the sea. 千 (Sen) is a thousand. 山 (Yama) is a mountain. 千 (Sen) is a thousand.
-->Literaly means "The sea for a thousand, a mountain for a thousand.

Explaining;
Very cunning, sly like a person who has much experience.

This Japanese proverb comes from the Japanese old tradition that if snakes live in the sea for a thousand year and in mountains for a thousand year they will become dragons.

If snakes can be dragons with experience, what human beings can turn into?

I-shin Den-shin

以心 (I-shin) is by heart. 伝心 (Den-shin) is tell heart.
-->Literaly means "I will tell my heart by heart"

Explaining;
To understand somebody without words. Like with best partners.

This Japanese proverb is from Zen Buddism. Master monks tell their disciples the essense, the core of Zen Buddism by heart, which is impossible to be told by words.

Wa-kon Yo-sai

和魂 is Japanese Spirit. 洋才 is European Talent.
-->Leteraly means "Japanese Spirit and European Talent"

Explaining
To have Japanese Spirit and European Knowledge.

This Japanese proverb was born in 19th century when Europe was leading the world and we had just finished our samurai era. The Japanese "Meiji" government decided to adopt European style to catch up with Europe and America. However, we did not want to lose our identiy so that this proverb was created. The Japanese still use this word not to lose Japanese Spirit.

On-ko Chi-shin

温故 (On-ko) is to ask old things. 知新 (Chi-shin) is to know new things.
-->Literary means "By asking old things know new things".

Explaining
In order to get to know new things that you have not experienced you can learn from old things like the past. You can get wisdom from the history.

This is the Japanese proverb by Chinese thinker and social philosopher Confucius. He gave a big impact to Japanese thinkers.

Sai-Ou No Uma

塞翁之 (Sai-ou No) is of an old guy living near a fortress. 馬 (Uma) is a horse.
-->Literaly means "A horse of an old guy living near a fortress".

Explaining
Happiness and unhappiness always comes around. Do not be happy even though good things happen. Do not be sad even though bad things happen.

This Japanese proverb derives from Chinese ancient story.
Sai-ou has a an old horse and it ran away from him. Many villagers consoled him but he said "this can not be called bad".
Then the horse came back to him with a new young horse. Many villagers congratulated him but he said "this can not be called good".
Then his son got on the young one, dropped from it and broke his leg. Many villagers consoled him again but he said "this can not be called bad".
Sooner or later, his village was invaded and many guys fought against it, and most of them were dead or injured even though they won. But his son was safe because he could not go to the fight due to his broken leg.

Ka Cho Fu Getsu

花(Ka) is a flower. 鳥(Cho) is a bird. 風(Fu) is wind. 月(Getsu) is the moon.
-->Literallyy means "Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon"

Explaining:
The beauties of nature.

This Japanese proverb is showing the sense of Japanese people. They feel beauty most in these four elements and have made many paintings and poems. That is why these four elements are considered as the beauties of nature.

Ichi-go Ichi-e

一期 (Ichi-go) is lifetime. 一会 (Ichi-e) is one time.
--> Literally means "One time in your life".

Explaining:
Every encounter is important because it is only one time in your life and will never recur.

This is the Japanese proverb created by Japanese Tea Ceremony master Sen No Rikyu. He thought present will never come again. So He welcomed and treated people with his tea as best as he could. If you won't you will regret because you may not see them again. This thought is also linked to Zen.