How to Read “The wind that blows in Awa also blows in Sanuki”
Awa ni fuku kaze wa Sanuki ni mo fuku
Meaning of “The wind that blows in Awa also blows in Sanuki”
This proverb means that neighboring regions naturally influence each other. Events or changes in one area inevitably affect the adjacent area in some way.
People use this saying to explain how economic changes, social movements, or cultural trends spread from one region to neighboring areas.
For example, when a new industry develops in one region, it affects the economy of neighboring areas. When problems arise in one place, adjacent regions cannot remain unaffected.
The proverb uses wind as a natural phenomenon to help us understand an important reality. Places that are geographically close cannot be considered separately.
Even today, this universal truth applies when discussing cooperation between local governments or how regional economies connect with each other.
Origin and Etymology
This proverb comes from the relationship between Awa Province (modern-day Tokushima Prefecture) and Sanuki Province (modern-day Kagawa Prefecture) in Shikoku.
These two provinces sit next to each other, separated by the Sanuki Mountains. They are geographically very close.
No clear historical records explain the proverb’s exact origin. However, it likely came from observing actual weather patterns.
When strong wind blows in one region, it naturally affects the neighboring region across the mountains. People experienced this natural phenomenon daily.
Over time, this observation became a metaphor for how regions influence each other.
During the Edo period, administrative boundaries divided regions into domains. However, economic activities and cultural exchanges crossed these borders freely.
Historical records show that neighboring regions influenced each other in commerce, agricultural techniques, and cultural customs.
This proverb expresses these close regional relationships through the invisible natural phenomenon of wind. It makes the concept easy to understand.
Interesting Facts
During the Edo period, Awa Province and Sanuki Province belonged to different domains. Yet they maintained close economic ties through salt production and distribution.
Sanuki was famous as a major salt-producing region. It supplied salt to Awa and other surrounding areas.
Meanwhile, Awa prospered through indigo production. This indigo was distributed to Sanuki and beyond.
The two regions were deeply connected economically. The rise or fall of one industry directly affected the other region.
The Sanuki Mountains have peaks around 1,000 meters high. However, these mountains did not create a complete barrier between the regions.
Mountain passes actually promoted exchange between the two areas. In terms of weather, seasonal winds commonly affected both regions.
People could actually observe how wind movements connected across regional boundaries.
Usage Examples
- If a large factory closes in the neighboring prefecture, the wind that blows in Awa also blows in Sanuki—it will affect employment in our region too
- Changes in urban economic policy will inevitably spread to surrounding areas, just like the wind that blows in Awa also blows in Sanuki
Universal Wisdom
This proverb teaches us about the essential nature of connections in human society.
We often think of our hometown or organization as an independent entity. But in reality, invisible threads connect us to everything around us.
Why was this proverb created and passed down through generations? It expresses a fundamental truth: complete isolation is impossible for humans who live in groups.
From ancient times to today, people have always lived in relationship with their neighbors. Good harvests and bad harvests, war and peace—none of these ever affect just one region alone.
This universal wisdom contains another deep meaning. It recognizes that other people’s happiness and our own happiness are not separate things.
When a neighboring region prospers, we benefit too. When neighbors suffer, we feel the effects as well.
Understanding this interdependence becomes the foundation for cooperation and coexistence.
Our ancestors cleverly expressed this invisible connection through wind, something we cannot see. Wind knows no boundaries and blows across walls.
The spread of influence in human society works exactly the same way.
When AI Hears This
Looking at wind blowing from Awa to Sanuki from a meteorological perspective touches the core of complexity science.
Wind as a fluid is described by the Navier-Stokes equations, a deterministic system. In theory, if we could perfectly measure initial conditions, we could predict the future.
However, in reality, Awa and Sanuki are only a few dozen kilometers apart. Yet the same wind can produce completely different effects in each place.
This happens because tiny differences in initial conditions amplify exponentially over time. A temperature difference of 0.1 degrees or humidity difference of 1 percent—measurement errors this small—grow dramatically.
Meteorologist Edward Lorenz discovered this property in 1963. He found that simply rounding decimal places in computer weather calculations produced completely different predictions.
The deep truth this proverb suggests is the limitation of simple cause and effect. The same cause (wind) does not always produce the same result.
Rice in Awa might fall while Sanuki’s remains standing, or vice versa. This is the essence of complex systems: following deterministic laws yet remaining unpredictable.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches modern people the limits of thinking “as long as I’m okay, nothing else matters.”
In our globalized world, this proverb’s truth has become even more important.
When major changes happen in your company’s industry, they inevitably affect related industries. When environmental problems occur in your region, neighboring areas cannot remain unaffected.
Look at how information spreads on social media. You can see how quickly one event influences a wide area.
That’s why we need to consciously value our relationships with those around us. Celebrating neighbors’ success and offering help during difficulties isn’t just kindness.
It ultimately benefits us too.
Specifically, we should take actions that strengthen connections. Participate in local communities. Share information within your industry. Build cooperative relationships with other departments.
We cannot live in isolation. Just as wind blows across boundaries, when we cooperate across barriers, we create a richer society.
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