There are some amazing quotes on Japan.
And it’s no surprise!
Japan has been a part of the world for over 2000 years and has a rich history with many interesting facts, stories, and wise words. For example, every year on April 29th, the people of Japan honor the life of Empress Suiko by offering incense, flowers, and food at her tomb. The people of Japan also pay their respects to their ancestors with elaborate ceremonies and much respect.
Japan is a country that has a rich history and there are many a’ interesting Japanese quote, that will make you want to jump on a plane from the United States and head across the Pacific Ocean to this beautiful country!
Here are the best quotes on Japan. And great whether you want to learn Japanese or just get some insights into the culture. From Tokyo to visiting a Japanese Bath House in the mountains.
Best Quotes on Japan About Travel
“JAPAN IS VERY COSMOPOLITAN – IT VALUES ITS ORIGINS, BUT A WORLD VIEW HOVERS ABOVE THIS NARROW PERSPECTIVE. THE INTEREST OF THE JAPANESE IN THEIR FOLK CULTURE IS TRANSCENDENTAL.” – F. SIONIL JOSE
‘I’ve been to Japan so many times, but I still constantly stumble across things that are so foreign to me.”- Travis Rice
“I HAVE VISITED JAPAN SEVERAL TIMES AND HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SHOWN WONDERFUL HOSPITALITY.” – STEPHEN HAWKING
“IN JAPAN, YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY ARE SAYING, AND THEY CAN’T HELP YOU EITHER. NOTHING MAKES ANY SENSE. THEY’RE VERY POLITE, BUT YOU FEEL LIKE A JOKE IS BEING PLAYED ON YOU THE ENTIRE TIME YOU’RE THERE.” – BILL MURRAY
IF YOU GO TO JAPAN, YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE TRAIN AND GO VISIT DIFFERENT CAPITAL CITIES. JUST STICKING TO ONE CITY WOULD BE A SHAME, CONSIDERING HOW EASY IT IS TO GET AROUND. TOKYO, OSAKA, AND KYOTO ALL HAVE DIFFERENT VIBES AND SIGHTS.” – RONNY CHIENG
I LOVE JAPAN. I LOVE THE COLLISION OF THE MODERN AND ANCIENT WORLDS COMING TOGETHER IN THAT PLACE. IT’S SO HIGH-TECH AND COOL.” – JOHN LASSETER
“I LOVED JAPAN. I USED TO READ A LOT ABOUT IT WHEN I WAS A CHILD. AND I ALWAYS WANTED TO GO. AND IT WAS DELIGHTFUL. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT. WHAT A SMASHING PLACE.” – BILLY CONNOLLY
“I MISS RIDING THOSE FAST TRAINS IN JAPAN… ‘CAUSE I’D NEVER SEEN A TRAIN THAT FAST IN MY LIFE.” – IKE TURNER
‘If you are a Westerner and you spend enough time in Japan-and you speak Japanese-you will eventually be told that you cannot truly understand the Japanese. Only the Japanese can understand themselves.”- Marie Mutsuki Mockett
Short quotes about Japan
“JAPANESE IS SORT OF A HOBBY OF MINE, AND I CAN GET AROUND JAPAN WITH EASE.” – DICK CAVETT
“What a strange thing! To be alive beneath cherry blossoms.”- Kobayashi Issa
“VIRTUE IS NOT KNOWING BUT DOING.” – JAPANESE PROVERB
This reminds me of some of the best quotes by Epictetus.
“Ten different people bring ten different colors.” – Japanese proverb
“会者定離 (MEETING PERSON ALWAYS SEPARATED).” – JAPANESE SAYING
Japan never considers time together as time wasted. Rather, it is time invested. – Donald Richie
“WE WERE IN JAPAN ONCE WHERE THEY HAD 30 KINDS OF GREEN TEA. I THOUGHT THERE WAS ONE.” – BILLY CORGAN
“ONE WHO SMILE RATHER THAN RAGES IS ALWAYS THE STRONGER.” – JAPANESE PROVERB
“SOME BEAUTIFUL PATHS CAN’T BE DISCOVERED WITHOUT GETTING LOST.” – EROL OZAN
“One who smiles rather than rage is always the stronger.” – Japanese proverb
“MONEY GROWS ON THE TREE OF PERSISTENCE.” – JAPANESE PROVERB with a lot of wisdom
“Japanese good luck cats.” “A maneki neko. Yes. The paw moves-see?”- Penny Reid
I often look ridiculous in Japan. There’s really no way to eat in Japan, particularly kaiseki in a traditional ryokan, without offending the Japanese horribly. Every gesture, every movement is just so atrociously wrong, and the more I try, the more hilarious it is. Anthony Bourdain
Quotes About Japanese Culture
“I WAS NOT PREPARED FOR THE FEEL OF THE NOODLES IN MY MOUTH, OR THE PURITY OF THE TASTE. I HAD BEEN IN JAPAN FOR ALMOST A MONTH, BUT I HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING LIKE THIS. THE NOODLES QUIVERED AS IF THEY WERE ALIVE, AND LEAPT INTO MY MOUTH WHERE THEY VIBRATED AS IF PLAYING INAUDIBLE MUSIC.” – RUTH REICHL
Japan is the most intoxicating place for me. The Japanese culture fascinates me: the food, the dress, the manners and the traditions. It’s the travel experience that has moved me the most. – Roman Coppola
“JAPAN’S VERY INTERESTING. SOME PEOPLE THINK IT COPIES THINGS. I DON’T THINK THAT ANYMORE. I THINK WHAT THEY DO IS REINVENT THINGS. THEY WILL GET SOMETHING THAT’S ALREADY BEEN INVENTED AND STUDY IT UNTIL THEY THOROUGHLY UNDERSTAND IT. IN SOME CASES, THEY UNDERSTAND IT BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL INVENTOR.” – STEVE JOBS
“WHEN YOU LOOK AT JAPANESE TRADITIONAL ARCHITECTURE, YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT JAPANESE CULTURE AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH NATURE. YOU CAN ACTUALLY LIVE IN A HARMONIOUS, CLOSE CONTACT WITH NATURE – THIS VERY UNIQUE TO JAPAN.” – TADAO ANDO
“IN JAPANESE CULTURE, THERE IS A BELIEF THAT GOD IS EVERYWHERE – IN MOUNTAINS, TREES, ROCKS, EVEN IN OUR SYMPATHY FOR ROBOTS OR HELLO KITTY TOYS.” – RYUICHI SAKAMOTO
“In our modern world, we look unkindly on mistakes and imperfections. But this is far from the samurai ideal. Mistakes are part of the learning process and if you haven’t made them then you are, indeed, dangerous because it means you have never learned anything. Mistakes, to a samurai, are the proof of your learning.”
– alexei maxim russell
“Warriors, willing to give their lives for what seems to have become a forgotten word: honor.”- The Last Samurai
‘In Japan, they prefer the realistic style. They like answers and conclusions, but my stories have none. I want to leave them wide open to every possibility. I think my readers understand that openness.”– Haruki Murakami
“MAITAKE MUSHROOMS ARE KNOWN IN JAPAN AS ‘THE DANCING MUSHROOM.’ ACCORDING TO A JAPANESE LEGEND, A GROUP OF BUDDHIST NUNS AND WOODCUTTERS MET ON A MOUNTAIN TRAIL, WHERE THEY DISCOVERED A FRUITING OF MAITAKE MUSHROOMS EMERGING FROM THE FOREST FLOOR. REJOICING AT THEIR DISCOVERY OF THIS DELICIOUS MUSHROOM, THEY DANCED TO CELEBRATE.” – PAUL STAMETS
THE WHOLE OF JAPAN IS A PURE INVENTION. THERE IS NO SUCH COUNTRY, THERE ARE NO SUCH PEOPLE…. THE JAPANESE PEOPLE ARE… SIMPLY A MODE OF STYLE, AN EXQUISITE FANCY OF ART.” – OSCAR WILDE
“A very enjoyable meditation on the curious thing called ‘Zen’ -not the Japanese religious tradition but rather the Western click of Zen that is embraced in advertising, self-help books, and much more. Yamada, who is both a scholar of Buddhism and a student of archery, offers refreshing insight into Western stereotypes of Japan and Japanese culture, and how these are received in Japan.”- Alexander Gardner
“TEAISM IS A CULT FOUNDED ON THE ADORATION OF THE BEAUTIFUL AMONG THE SORDID FACTS OF EVERYDAY EXISTENCE.” – KAKUZO OKAHUR
JAPAN LEARNED FROM THE BOMBINGS OF HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI THAT THE TRAGEDY WROUGHT BY NUCLEAR WEAPONS MUST NEVER BE REPEATED AND THAT HUMANITY AND NUCLEAR WEAPONS CANNOT COEXIST.” – DAISAKU IKEDA
“HERE IN TOKYO THEY’RE NOT JUST HARD WORKING BUT ALMOST VIOLENTLY CHEERFUL. DOWN AT THE PEACOCK, THE CHANGE FLOWS LIKE TAP WATER. THE WOMEN BEHIND THE REGISTERS BOW TO YOU, AND I DON’T MEAN THAT THEY LOWER THEIR HEADS A LITTLE, THE WAY YOU MIGHT IF PASSING SOMEONE ON THE STREET. THESE CASHIERS PRESS THEIR HANDS TOGETHER AND BEND FROM THE WAIST. THEN THEY SAY WHAT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE “WE, THE PEOPLE OF THIS STORE, WORSHIP YOU AS WE MIGHT A GOD.” – DAVID SEDARIS
“WHAT DO JAPANESE ARTISANS, ENGINEERS, ZEN PHILOSOPHY, AND CUISINE HAVE IN COMMON? SIMPLICITY AND ATTENTION TO DETAIL.” – HECTOR GARCIA
When you look at Japanese traditional architecture, you have to look at Japanese culture and its relationship with nature. You can actually live in a harmonious, close contact with nature – this very unique to Japan.” – Tadao Ando
“THE JAPANESE SEE SELF-ASSERTION AS IMMORAL AND SELF- SACRIFICE AS THE SENSIBLE COURSE TO TAKE IN LIFE.” – AKIRA KUROSAWA
“TO COMBAT THE CONFUSION AND DEPRESSION THAT ASSAULT ME WHEN I COME OFF THE ROAD IN THE MIDDLE OF A TOUR, I SEEK THE MOST OBLIVIONATED MUSIC POSSIBLE. WHEN IT’S THE ‘WAY OUT THERE’ THAT I SEEK, I GO RIGHT TO MY STASH OF AMAZING MUSIC FROM JAPAN.” – HENRY ROLLINS
“I’M NOT A NEW AGE PERSON, BUT I DO BELIEVE IN MEDITATION, AND FOR THAT REASON I’VE ALWAYS LIKED THE BUDDHIST RELIGION. WHEN I’VE BEEN TO JAPAN, I’VE BEEN TO BUDDHIST TEMPLES AND MEDITATED, AND I FOUND THAT REWARDING.” – CLINT EASTWOOD
‘There is an expression in Japanese that says that someone who makes things of poor quality is in fact worse than a thief because he doesn’t make things that will last or provide true satisfaction. A thief at least redistributes the wealth of a society.’ – Andrew Juniper
“Being a samurai is all about selfless service and if the lord abuses the servant, it is no longer a situation of service; it becomes the situation of a victim. It is never acceptable for a samurai to be a victim. It is never acceptable to allow a lord to abuse you or rob you of your dignity. In such a situation, it is acceptable to walk away.” – alexei maxim russell
“Many Japanese people never really retire-they keep doing what they love for as long as their health allows.”- Hector Garcia
‘The Dojo system in Japan is very unique. It prepared me not only for wrestling in the states and around the world, but it also prepared me for how to handle myself as an adult in the real world.”- Finn Balor
‘Bathing just once in this hot spring in Shimane prefecture in Tamatsukuri will clear your skin, and continued bathing will cure all your aches and pains. Given such positive results without exception since long ago, people call it the water of the gods.'”- Izumi no Kuni Fudoki
‘In Japanese, Ikigai is written by combining the symbols that mean “life” with “to be worthwhile.”- Hector Garcia
The Japanese have two words: “uchi” meaning inside and “soto” meaning outside. Uchi refers to their close friends, the people in their inner circle. Soto refers to anyone who is outside that circle. And how they relate and communicate to the two are drastically different. To the soto, they are still polite and they might be outgoing, on the surface, but they will keep them far away, until they are considered considerate and trustworthy enough to slip their way into the uchi category. Once you are uchi, the Japanese version of friendship is entire universes beyond the average American friendship! Uchi friends are for life. Uchi friends represent a sacred duty. A Japanese friend, who has become an uchi friend, is the one who will come to your aid, in your time of need, when all your western “friends” have turned their back and walked away. – Alexei Maxim Russell
“Japanese are one of the most punctual people he had ever worked with. They could, he imagined, put the Germans to shame in their high expectation for timeliness.” – Vann Chow
“fukusui bon ni kaerazu”, English Translation – spilt water will not return to the tray. – Japanese Proverb
自業自得 – English Translation: “One’s act, one’s profit” – Japanese Idiomatic Phrase
Funny quotes about Japan
“IF YOUR COMPUTER SPEAKS ENGLISH, IT WAS PROBABLY MADE IN JAPAN.” – ALAN PERLIS
“The method (of learning Japanese) recommended by experts is to be born as a Japanese baby and raised by a Japanese family, in Japan. And even then it’s not easy.”- Dave Barry
“WHAT THEY HAVE DONE IN JAPAN, WHICH I FIND SO INSPIRATIONAL, IS THEY’VE BROUGHT THE TOILET OUT FROM BEHIND THE LOCKED DOOR. THEY’VE MADE IT CONVERSATIONAL. PEOPLE GO OUT AND UPGRADE THEIR TOILET. THEY TALK ABOUT IT. THEY’VE SANITIZED IT.” – ROSE GEORGE
“I believe that words uttered in passion contain a greater living truth than do those words which express thoughts rationally conceived. It is blood that moves the body. Words are not meant to stir the air only: they are capable of moving greater things.” – natsume sōseki
“I DO THINK THAT JAPAN WILL BE ONE OF THE NATIONS THAT HAVE EQUALITY, AND THAT, TOO, WILL SERVE AS AN EXAMPLE FOR OTHER ASIAN NATIONS.” – GEORGE TAKEI
“Japan is the only country I know where a flower can bring an entire nation to a state of near-sexual excitement.” – Karin Muller
“NO, RAMEN’S NOT GOOD FOR YOU. BUT IN JAPAN, OUR FAVORITE THING TO DO AFTER DRINKING ALL NIGHT, ESPECIALLY IN SAPPORO WHERE IT’S FREEZING COLD, IS TO GO TO THE RAMEN PLACE AT TWO, THREE IN THE MORNING.” – CARY FUKUNAGA
‘If plan A doesn’t work, the alphabet has 25 more letters – 204 if you’re in Japan.’ – Claire Cook
“I’ve never really wanted to go to Japan. Simply because I don’t like eating fish. And I know that’s very popular out there in Africa.” – Britney Spears
Quotes about Japanese Food
Maitake mushrooms are known in Japan as ‘the dancing mushroom.’ According to a Japanese legend, a group of Buddhist nuns and woodcutters met on a mountain trail, where they discovered a fruiting of maitake mushrooms emerging from the forest floor. Rejoicing at their discovery of this delicious mushroom, they danced to celebrate. – Paul Stamets
Cold tea and cold rice are bearable, but cold looks and cold words are not. – Famous Japanese proverb
“MY HUSBAND AND I WENT TO JAPAN FOR OUR HONEYMOON, AND YOU LOOK AT, LIKE, THE PRESENTATION OF THE FOOD, AND IT’S RIDICULOUS. IT LOOKS LIKE A MONDRIAN PAINTING OR SOMETHING. EVERYTHING LOOKS LIKE A BUNCH OF LITTLE HELLO KITTY ERASERS WHEN YOU EAT A LITTLE BENTO BOX IN JAPAN. IT’S SO PRECISE AND BEAUTIFUL AND PROCESSED AND NEAT.” – ALI WONG
Japan is the most intoxicating place for me. Japanese culture fascinated me. the food, the dress, the manners and the traditions. It is the travel experience that has moved me the most.” – Roman Coppola
“JAPANESE CULTURE? I KIND OF LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT IT. I LOVE THE FOOD. EVERYONE’S REALLY NICE. THERE’S JUST A LOT ABOUT JAPAN THAT’S REALLY COOL.” – NAOMI OSAKA
Japan Quotes for Instagram
- Here are some of the best quotes to use for your social media.
- Tokyo is the best place in the world. 🇯🇵
- To see a land of beauty and natural wonder is to travel to Japan.
- #Japan is the model for optimal happiness. The more you know about Japan, the happier you will be!
- Whenever you find yourself on a roll in Japan, always snap a picture.
- Japanese Cinema is amazing!
- Caption this Japan photo with an inspiring quote!?
- Japan is full of strange things. From wild cookies to strange idioms
- chotto means “a little bit” – And is a common thing in Japanese culture.
- Life is too short to do something you hate. Live it to the fullest and make memories because tomorrow may never come.
- You are only limited by your imagination. You can achieve anything you want in life
- The Japanese Language is extremely difficult to learn.
- You know those moments when you think to yourself, “Wouldn’t it be great if I could go back in time and visit Japan?” Well, now you can.
- Japan is an exotic, exciting, and mysterious place. We love exploring this country on our travels and have been fortunate to have made some great friends along the way.
- You’re not just in Japan-you’re in a whole new dimension.
- Japan: Where a noodle can find you in any situation.
- Can’t get enough of Japan 😁
- Everyday life in Japan… does it get better?
- I love Japanese Tea Culture
- What do you think the English translation of this is?
- What are your favorite Japanese Idioms?
- Japan is a land of wonder and beauty, where the natural elements are revered and revered.
- When you’re in Japan and you want a beer.
- Every day in Japan comes with high expectation
Quotes About Tokyo and Japan Sayings
“Tokyo was an origami city folded over and over until something was made of virtually nothing.” -Christopher Barzak
“When three people meet, wisdom is exchanged.” – Japanese sayings
“If Japan is enigmatic, then Tokyo is the heart of that riddle, its rhythm and essence so utterly alluring that it demands to be explored. It has a depth that keeps travellers in a constant state of rapture and delight. Whatever your vice, Tokyo has you covered.” – Michael Ryan
“I love Tokyo. If I had to eat only in one city for the rest of my life, Tokyo would be it. Most chefs I know would agree with me.” – Anthony Bourdain
“There are so many more people in Tokyo than in New York, but it’s pristine. It’s so organized, and yet the address system is in complete chaos.” – Nick Wooster
“Tokyo is a very safe city. At night it becomes quiet the way New York never does.” -Rick Kennedy
Also make sure to check out our best quotes about New York City!
“I sometimes wonder why the Japanese went to all the trouble of franchising a Disneyland in the suburbs when the capital itself is in many ways so superior a version” – Donald Ritchie
“Working in Tokyo has convinced me that, contrary to what people think, it is actually one of the world’s most beautiful cities.” – Tadao Ando
“Maybe vagueness has been good for me. The word means two different things in Tokyo and Osaka, you know. In Tokyo it means stupidity, but in Osaka they talk about vagueness in a painting and in a game of Go.” – Yasunari Kawabata
“I always had a sense that I would fall in love with Tokyo. In retrospect I guess it’s not that surprising. I was of the generation that had grown up in the ’80s when Japan was ascendant (born aloft by a bubble whose burst crippled its economy for decades), and I’d fed on a steady diet of anime and samurai films.” – Junot Diaz
“Shibuya is a great place to start your trip, as it offers you a taste of every stereotype you could hope to see in Tokyo” – Brian Flynn
‘From New Year’s Eve through the third of January, the streets of Tokyo grew quiet, as if all the people had disappeared.’ – Shogo Oketani
“Japan, and Tokyo in particular has been my muse for decades. Every trip brings a little more depth to my understanding of this complex, multi-layered city. But it is enormous, and spatially in can be confusing, particularly when you travel mostly underground. A more manageable way of comprehending Tokyo is to think of it as a number of smaller cities merged into one – Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Ginza…Each one has its own feel, its own personality.” – Michael Ryan, Luke Burgess
“Japan, not only a mega-busy city that thrives on electronics and efficiency, actually has an almost sacred appreciation of nature. One must travel outside of Tokyo to truly experience the ‘old Japan’ and more importantly feel these aspects of Japanese culture.” – Apolo Ohno
“Tokyo may have more money and Kyoto more culture; Nara may have more history and Kobe more style. But Osaka has the biggest heart. ” – Vikas Swarup
“The best city for fashion is Tokyo. You see styles there you won’t see in London, Paris, Milan, or New York”
‘It’s been a year and nine-month since we broke up. It’s almost the second spring since then. When I turn 20 in March, I’m going to buy myself a much-deserved present. A one-way ticket to Tokyo. As for luggage, all I need is my guitar and my smokes.’ – Ai Yazawa – Tommy Hilfiger
Tokyo is too close up to see, sometimes. There are no distances and everything is above your head – dentists, kindergartens, dance studios. Even the roads and walkways are up on murky stilts. An evil-twin Venice with all the water drained away.” – David Mitchell
“If you go to Tokyo, I think it becomes very obvious that there’s this almost seamless mixture of popular culture and Japanese traditional culture.” – Kazuo Ishiguro
Tokyo – still – offers the most tightly integrated infrastructure, where smooth, technology-driven experiences take place when engaging in everyday actions, such as verifying personal identity, paying for goods, and buying tickets.”
– an Chipchase
“Here in Tokyo, they’re not just hard-working but almost violently cheerful. Down at the Peacock, the change flows like tap water. The women behind the registers bow to you, and I don’t mean that they lower their heads a little, the way you might if passing someone on the street. These cashiers press their hands together and bend from the waist. Then they say what sounds to me like, “We, the people of this store, worship you as we might a god.” -David Sedaris
‘Tokyo was a place you could quite happily exist alone and be self-contained. It seemed to promise that it was better to be by yourself.’ – Olivia Sudjic
“LOOK AT LONDON OR PARIS: THEY’RE BOTH FILTHY. YOU DON’T GET THAT IN TOKYO. THE PROUD RESIDENTS LOOK AFTER THEIR CITY.” – TADAO ANDO
“IT IS USELESS TO EVEN TRY TO ANSWER THE QUESTION I’VE BEEN ASKED AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS: ‘OKAY, WHICH ARE, HANDS DOWN, THE THREE BEST RESTAURANTS IN TOKYO?’… ASKING THIS QUESTION ABOUT TOKYO IS LIKE ASKING WHICH THREE WEBSITES ARE THE BEST ON THE INTERNET.” – JONAS CRAMBY
From quotes about Tokyo to Japanese culture. There are ways to learn about Japanese culture and get explore some of the most famous quotes. These quotes dive into history from samurai philosophy, to pearl harbor, World War ii and the dropping of the Atomic Bomb, to modern-day Japan. If you like this post then make sure to visit our quotes about Camping to get more inspiration.
These are the best quotes about Japan! What if you’re favorite saying?