The smallest good deed is better than the grandest intention.

More Japanese Proverbs

• Cold tea and cold rice are bearable, but not cold looks and cold words.
• Boasting begins where wisdom stops.
• There’s no medicine for falling in love.
• It is a beggar’s pride that he is not a thief.
• A bad wife spells a hundred years of bad harvest.
• The reputation of a thousand years may be determined by the conduct of one hour.
• Even a sea bream loses its flavor when eaten alone.
• Experience the beauties of nature, and in doing so learn about yourself.
• The tongue is but three inches long, yet it can kill a man six feet high.
• Only a fool deals with a fool.
• A frog in a well does not know the great sea.
• Beginning is easy, continuing is hard.
• You can’t fight without an opponent.
• We’re fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance.
• The smallest good deed is better than the grandest intention.
• One kind word can warm three winter months.
• Fear is only as deep as the mind allows.
• You can’t do anything without risking something.
• A fog cannot be dispelled by a fan.
• Giving birth to a baby is easier than worrying about it.
• Even a fool may be good at something.
• The bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak that resists.
• Spilled water will not return to the bowl.
• The stake that sticks up gets hammered down.
• The day you decide to do it is your lucky day.
• You reap what you sow.
• The smallest, good deed is better than the grandest good intention.