How to Read “Even a shaku has short places, even a sun has long places”
Shaku mo mijikaki tokoro ari sun mo nagaki tokoro ari
Meaning of “Even a shaku has short places, even a sun has long places”
This proverb means that everything has strengths and weaknesses, and each has its own value.
Just as a long shaku has situations where it’s too short and inconvenient, and a short sun has situations where it shows its advantages, people and things always have both strengths and weaknesses.
Even things that seem superior have weak points. Even things that appear inferior have strong points.
So we shouldn’t judge superiority or inferiority based on just one aspect.
This expression is often used when evaluating people’s abilities and personalities. For example, “That person is weak at this, but even a shaku has short places, even a sun has long places, so they must excel in other areas.”
It’s used in situations where we try to recognize someone’s strengths. Today, it’s understood as a word expressing the spirit of tolerance, cited when explaining the importance of respecting diversity and making use of each person’s individuality and characteristics.
Origin and Etymology
This proverb is believed to originate from ancient Chinese classics.
The expression “chi you suo duan, cun you suo chang” appears in the chapter “Bu Ju” of the “Chu Ci” (Songs of Chu). This saying likely came to Japan and took root there.
Both “shaku” and “sun” are length units used since ancient times. A shaku is about 30 centimeters, and a sun is about 3 centimeters, so the shaku is overwhelmingly longer.
However, this proverb isn’t about simple length comparison. Even a long shaku is inconvenient for measuring narrow gaps.
On the other hand, even a short sun is suitable for accurately measuring fine details.
In other words, this saying was born from observing that even with a single tool like a ruler, strengths and weaknesses switch depending on the situation.
This idea reflects the practical wisdom of ancient China, where surveying technology was advanced. In Japan, it appears in Edo period literature and became widely used as a warning when evaluating people’s abilities and qualities.
From concrete observation of tool characteristics, it evolved into deep philosophy recognizing human diversity. This proverb contains the wisdom of our ancestors.
Usage Examples
- He’s not good at calculations, but even a shaku has short places, even a sun has long places—his ability to understand people’s feelings is better than anyone’s
- Both large corporations and small businesses have their areas where they can leverage their strengths—even a shaku has short places, even a sun has long places
Universal Wisdom
Behind this proverb’s transmission through generations lies deep insight into humans’ “tendency to compare” and the suffering it brings.
We instinctively compare ourselves to others and try to establish superiority. When we feel inferior by one standard, we feel as if our entire existence has been denied.
But our ancestors realized something important. The world cannot be measured by a single ruler.
Even though a long shaku seems superior, that’s only true in specific situations. From a different perspective, there are always situations where a short sun is more useful.
This wisdom is also a philosophy of salvation for human society. If the world had only absolute superiority and inferiority, many people would have no choice but to despair.
But in reality, everyone has some strengths and everyone has some weaknesses. No perfect human exists, and precisely because everyone is imperfect, we need to complement each other.
This proverb expresses a philosophy that recognizes human diversity and affirms each person’s value.
It’s wisdom that chooses coexistence over competition, inclusion over exclusion. This is a fundamental principle for living together that humanity has learned throughout its long history.
When AI Hears This
In 1931, mathematician Gödel proved a shocking fact. No matter how excellent a mathematical axiomatic system is, there must always exist “propositions that are true but cannot be proven” within it.
In other words, the more powerful a system becomes, the more it carries the contradiction of being unable to guarantee its own completeness from within.
This structure is surprisingly similar to the essence of “Even a shaku has short places, even a sun has long places.”
A long shaku can measure a wide range, but it’s inferior to a short sun in precision for fine details. In other words, the more you extend the advantage of measurement range, the more another ability—precision—becomes a relative weakness.
This isn’t just relative superiority or inferiority. It’s a principle that there are structural limits to the abilities a single tool can possess simultaneously.
Human abilities have the same structure. For example, a leader with a broad perspective who can survey the whole picture doesn’t match a specialist in concentration on details.
This isn’t lack of effort—it’s a fundamental trade-off in the brain’s information processing. Just as Gödel discovered incompleteness in mathematics, a world aiming for perfection, this proverb suggests that the very concept of “perfect omnipotence” cannot logically exist.
The more excellent a system is, the more it necessarily has blind spots due to that excellence.
Lessons for Today
Modern society may seem to demand that you become “someone who can do everything.”
Social media shows only people who are shining, and you notice only your own weaknesses. But this proverb gently teaches us that we don’t need to be perfect.
What matters isn’t lamenting your weaknesses, but finding and polishing your strengths.
And at the same time, it’s not criticizing others’ weaknesses, but recognizing their strengths.
When working in a team, if members with diverse strengths gather, they can compensate for each other’s weaknesses. Rather than aiming for perfection alone, leveraging each other’s areas of expertise produces far greater results.
What you’re not good at might be someone else’s strength. And what you’re good at might be an area where someone needs help.
Accept your own individuality and respect others’ individuality. From there, true cooperation is born, and a rich society is built.
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