36 Japanese Quotes Translators Love

In a world where language is both a barrier and a bridge, Japanese stands out with its poetic beauty and profound cultural expressions. Translators often find themselves enchanted by the wisdom encapsulated in Japanese sayings, proverbs, and idioms. Whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural explorer, or simply someone in search of inspiration, you're in for a treat. Let's delve into a curated collection of 36 Japanese quotes that not only capture the essence of Japanese thought but also resonate deeply with universal human experiences.

1. “I'll make you so in love with me, that everytime our lips touch, you'll die a little death.” - Ai Yazawa

2. “ To be pleasant, gentle, calm and self-possessed: this is the basis of good taste and charm in a woman. No matter how amorous or passionate you may be, as long as you are straightforward and refrain from causing others embarrassment, no one will mind. But women who are too vain and act pretentiously, to the extent that they make others feel uncomfortable, will themselves become the object of attention; and once that happens, people will find fault with whatever they say or do; whether it be how they enter a room, how they sit down, how they stand up or how they take their leave. Those who end up contradicting themselves and those who disparage their companions are also carefully watched and listened to all the more. As long as you are free from such faults, people will surely refrain from listening to tittle-tattle and will want to show you sympathy, if only for the sake of politeness. I am of the opinion that when you intentionally cause hurt to another, or indeed if you do ill through mere thoughtless behavior, you fully deserve to be censured in public. Some people are so good-natured that they can still care for those who despise them, but I myself find it very difficult. Did the Buddha himself in all his compassion ever preach that one should simply ignore those who slander the Three Treasures? How in this sullied world of ours can those who are hard done by be expected to reciprocate in kind?” - Murasaki Shikibu

3. “The bond between husband and wife is a strong one. Suppose the man had hunted her out and brought her back. The memory of her acts would still be there, and inevitably, sooner or later, it would be cause for rancor. When there are crises, incidents, a woman should try to overlook them, for better or for worse, and make the bond into something durable. The wounds will remain, with the woman and with the man, when there are crises such as I have described. It is very foolish for a woman to let a little dalliance upset her so much that she shows her resentment openly. He has his adventures--but if he has fond memories of their early days together, his and hers, she may be sure that she matters. A commotion means the end of everything. She should be quiet and generous, and when something comes up that quite properly arouses her resentment she should make it known by delicate hints. The man will feel guilty and with tactful guidance he will mend his ways. Too much lenience can make a woman seem charmingly docile and trusting, but it can also make her seem somewhat wanting in substance. We have had instances enough of boats abandoned to the winds and waves.It may be difficult when someone you are especially fond of, someone beautiful and charming, has been guilty of an indiscretion, but magnanimity produces wonders. They may not always work, but generosity and reasonableness and patience do on the whole seem best.” - Murasaki Shikibu

4. “I have been brought up in a world dominated by honor. I have known neither crime, poverty, nor betrayal, and here I taste hatred for the first time: it is sublime, like a thirst for justice and revenge."-the girl who played go” - Shan Sa

5. “His smiling face revealed a love too strong to be kept inside, but the feelings obviously rising inside him kept him from looking directly at Kikunojou. He gazed instead at Kikunojou's clear reflection on the water.” - Haruo Shirane

6. “Those who hurt others will also hurt themselves.” - Natsuki Takaya

7. “And, well, mine are kind of on the heavy side anyway. The first day or two, I don't want to do ANYTHING. Make sure you keep away from me then.'I'd like to, but how can I tell?' I asked.O.K., I'll wear a hat for a couple of days after my period starts. A red one. That should work,' she said with a laugh. 'If you see me on the street and I'm wearing a red hat, don't talk to me, just run away.” - Haruki Murakami

8. “Last year nothing happenedThe year before nothing happenedAnd the year before that nothinghappened.” - Osamu Dazai

9. “Haiku is not a shriek, a howl, a sigh, or a yawn; rather, it is the deep breath of life.” - Santoka Taneda

10. “Real haiku is the soul of poetry. Anything that is not actually present in one's heart is not haiku. The moon glows, flowers bloom, insects cry, water flows. There is no place we cannot find flowers or think of the moon. This is the essence of haiku. Go beyond the restrictions of your era, forget about purpose or meaning, separate yourself from historical limitations—there you will find the essence of true art, religion, and science.” - Santoka Taneda

11. “...O-suzu left whatever work she was doing at her sewing machine and dragged Takeo back to O-yoshi and her son.How dare you behave so selfishly! Now tell O-yoshi-san that you are sorry. Get down on the mats and make a proper bow!” - Ryunosuke Akutagawa

12. “Too lazy to be ambitious,I let the world take care of itself.Ten days' worth of rice in my bag;a bundle of twigs by the fireplace.Why chatter about delusion and enlightenment?Listening to the night rain on my roof,I sit comfortably, with both legs stretched out.” - Ryokan

13. “Those who get in the way of love's path will be kicked by horses.~Kyoya” - Bisco Hatori

14. “What I always say is that Japanese are like willow. We can be bent easily, but once you try to break us, it would not be so easy.” - Hiroko Sakai

15. “For Sayonara, literally translated, 'Since it must be so,' of all the good-bys I have heard is the most beautiful. Unlike the Auf Wiedershens and Au revoirs, it does not try to cheat itself by any bravado 'Till we meet again,' any sedative to postpone the pain of separation. It does not evade the issue like the sturdy blinking Farewell. Farewell is a father's good-by. It is - 'Go out in the world and do well, my son.' It is encouragement and admonition. It is hope and faith. But it passes over the significance of the moment; of parting it says nothing. It hides its emotion. It says too little. While Good-by ('God be with you') and Adios say too much. They try to bridge the distance, almost to deny it. Good-by is a prayer, a ringing cry. 'You must not go - I cannot bear to have you go! But you shall not go alone, unwatched. God will be with you. God's hand will over you' and even - underneath, hidden, but it is there, incorrigible - 'I will be with you; I will watch you - always.' It is a mother's good-by. But Sayonara says neither too much nor too little. It is a simple acceptance of fact. All understanding of life lies in its limits. All emotion, smoldering, is banked up behind it. But it says nothing. It is really the unspoken good-by, the pressure of a hand, 'Sayonara.” - Anne Morrow Lindbergh

16. “I don't remember who spoke first, but I do recall the first words between us: "How often we meet among old books!"This was the start of our friendship.” - Ōgai Mori

17. “I am a lonely man,' Sensei said. 'And so I am glad that you come to see me. But I am also a melancholy man, and so I asked you why you should wish to visit me so often.” - Natsume Soseki

18. “People used to say that on moonless nights Her Ladyship's broad-skirted scarlet trousers would glide eerily along the outdoor corridor, never touching the floor.” - Ryunosuke Akutagawa

19. “He was said to have survived starvation by eating human flesh, after which he had the strength to tear out the antlers of a living stag with his bare hands.” - Ryunosuke Akutagawa

20. “Still more horrible was the color of the flames that licked the latticed cabin vents before shooting skyward, as though - might I say? - the sun itself had crashed to earth, spewing its heavenly fire in all directions.” - Ryunosuke Akutagawa

21. “The pale whiteness of her upturned face as she choked on the smoke; the tangled length of her hair as she tried to shake the flames from it; the beauty of her cherry-blossom robe as it burst into flame: it was all so cruel, so terrible!” - Ryunosuke Akutagawa

22. “As you can imagine, those who had fallen this far had been so worn down by their tortures in the seven other hells that they no longer had the strength to cry out.” - Ryunosuke Akutagawa

23. “You know Americans...Self-improvement. No matter who or what we are, we're always working on ways to become somebody else.” - Alan Brown

24. “Aina liikkeellä.Aina ikävä kotiin.Tuolla kaukanasoutaa avomerta päintulipunainen laiva.” - Takechi Kurohito

25. “Kiuru kohoaakevään hohtavaan ilmaanniin riemukkaasti -Minä jään tänne yksinja mieli painuksissa.” - Ōtomo no Yakamochi

26. “Sinä hymyilitkun kylvimme neilikat:odota syksyyn.Ne kukkivat nyt. Sinäet ole näkemässä.” - Ōtomo no Yakamochi

27. “Lupasit tullaluokseni viime yönä.Se yö on mennyt.En luota sinuun enää.Rakastan sinua aina.” - Ariwara no Narihira

28. “Ikivihreittenhumisevien mäntyjenvarjossa katsonepäuskoisena kukkienlyhyttä kukoistusta.” - Sakanoue no Korenori

29. “Yö. Vartiostopalatsin edustalla.Aamu. Nuotiotpoljetaan sammuksiin. Kuinmieleni ne kytevät.” - Ōnakatomi no Yoshinobu

30. “Oi elämäni, toivoton sammumaton.Miten kadehdintuulen tuivertamiasoihtuja yössä.” - Izumi Shikibu

31. “Ulkona alkaasadella, pehmeästi.Minä kuuntelen.Käännän lampun seinään päinniin tulee hämärämpää.” - Fushimi Tennō

32. “Miekkani nostan, tämän miekan niin kauanomistamani:on vihdoinkin aika sesingota taivasta päin.” - Sen no Rikyū

33. “Welcome to thee,O sword of eternity!Through BuddhaAnd through Daruma alikeThou hast cleft thy way.” - Kakuzo Okakura

34. “He invited me to his apartment in the wee hours one morning and pulled out a set of children's building blocks. It seems he used to ride around and around on the Yamanote Line with them, building castles on the floor of the train.” - Ryu Murakami

35. “When you're in an extreme situation you tend to avoid facing it by getting caught up in little details. Like a guy who's decided to commit suicide and boards a train only to become obsessed with whether he remembered to lock the door when he left home.” - Ryu Murakami

36. “Everything in my life revolves around people playing at being something.” - Banana Yoshimoto