How to Read “鳩に豆鉄砲”
Hato ni mamezeppou
Meaning of “鳩に豆鉄砲”
“Pigeon with bean gun” is a proverb that describes the state when someone shows no reaction at all and looks bewildered.
This proverb is used in situations where no matter what you say or do, the other person cannot understand and looks blank. It’s an expression that comes from the scene where even if you point a bean gun at a pigeon, the pigeon doesn’t understand what’s happening and just stands there motionless.
Usage scenarios include when explanations don’t get through to the other person, when jokes receive no reaction, or when someone is stunned by sudden events. However, this expression doesn’t contain any meaning of looking down on the other person. Rather, it often expresses the other person’s innocence or naivety, and is generally used as an endearing expression.
Even today, it’s often used to describe reactions when explaining how to operate digital devices to elderly people, or the other person’s expression when speaking using technical terms. Rather than blaming the other person, this is a proverb filled with Japanese-like gentleness that lightly expresses the situation at hand.
Origin and Etymology
Regarding the origin of “Pigeon with bean gun,” the current situation is that no clear documentary evidence has been found. However, there are several interesting elements to consider when thinking about how this proverb came to be.
First, let’s look at the tool called “bean gun.” This was beloved as a children’s toy from the Edo period through the Meiji period. It was essentially a handmade toy where beans were loaded into a bamboo tube and blown out with breath. Its power wasn’t very strong, and it was mainly used for target practice games.
On the other hand, the characteristics of pigeons as birds are also an important element. Pigeons have long been birds close to humans, are relatively gentle, and don’t fear people excessively. Pigeons are also known as birds whose facial expressions are difficult to read.
The background of this proverb’s creation is thought to lie in the daily life of common people during the Edo period. The sight of children playing with bean guns was commonplace, and pigeons were also familiar creatures. Perhaps people who actually saw pigeons showing no reaction even when bean guns were pointed at them came up with this expression.
While the period when it became established as a phrase is unclear, examples of it being used with the same meaning as today can already be found in Meiji period literature.
Interesting Facts
Pigeons are actually very intelligent birds, and it has been scientifically proven that they have the ability to recognize themselves in mirrors. This is an extremely rare ability among animals other than humans.
The “beans” in bean guns have long had the meaning of warding off evil, with the bean-throwing at Setsubun being one example. The bean gun as a children’s toy may have also contained the meaning of warding off evil spirits while playing.
Usage Examples
- When I explained the new smartphone features to my mother, she gave me a Pigeon with bean gun look
- Everyone was in a Pigeon with bean gun state after the manager’s sudden personnel announcement
Modern Interpretation
In modern society, “Pigeon with bean gun” has come to be frequently used when expressing phenomena specific to the information age. It’s particularly often heard when describing the understanding gap that emerges between digital native generations and elderly people.
With new technologies like SNS usage, online meeting systems, and cashless payments appearing one after another, generational differences in understanding have become more pronounced than before. It’s not uncommon for young people to explain technologies they use naturally, only to have the other person end up in a “Pigeon with bean gun” state.
Also, as specialization in professional fields advances in modern times, situations where even people of the same generation can’t keep up with topics outside their expertise have increased. This proverb is often used when describing reactions to explanations of concepts like AI, blockchain, and the metaverse.
On the other hand, precisely because we live in an age of information overload, the “looseness” that this proverb possesses is being reconsidered. As words expressing the tolerance that there’s no need to understand everything and it’s fine if there are things you don’t know, they’re serving as emotional support for modern people.
Rather, in modern times, positive interpretations have emerged that view the “Pigeon with bean gun” state not as something to be ashamed of, but as a starting line for learning new things.
When AI Hears This
Pigeons possess visual capabilities with approximately 8 times the resolution of human vision and can instantly identify incoming objects with dynamic visual acuity of 150 frames per second. A peashooter’s initial velocity is only about 30 meters per second—easily avoidable speed for pigeons. This means when pigeons show no reaction, they’re not “frozen in shock” but rather “not recognizing it as a threat”—that’s the biological truth.
This asymmetry in response explains many problems in modern society. When bosses scold employees with little effect, it’s because employees unconsciously judge that “this level poses no real harm to me.” When schools repeatedly give the same warnings yet students don’t change, it’s because those warnings haven’t reached the students’ “behavioral change threshold.”
What’s fascinating is that pigeons will instantly flee when truly dangerous birds of prey appear. This means the problem isn’t “lack of response capability” but rather “poor selection of appropriate stimuli.” Effective communication requires accurately understanding the other party’s threat perception level and choosing the right “stimulus intensity and type” that exceeds their threshold. Rather than continuing to shoot peashooters, it’s crucial to find “bird-of-prey level stimuli” that actually trigger genuine responses.
Lessons for Today
What “Pigeon with bean gun” teaches modern people is that there’s no need to panic when there are things you can’t understand. In modern society overflowing with information, we tend to feel pressure to understand everything, but this proverb gives us the reassurance that “it’s natural to have things you don’t understand.”
What’s important is how to approach someone when they’re in a state of not understanding. Rather than blaming the other person, it’s important to have the mental space to accept them as being in an innocent state like a pigeon. Also, when you yourself are in a “Pigeon with bean gun” state, there’s no need to be ashamed of it. Rather, you can view it positively as a chance to learn something new.
In modern society, understanding gaps due to generational differences and differences in specialized fields tend to emerge easily. At such times, remember the tolerance and gentleness that this proverb possesses. True communication begins from acknowledging each other’s “not knowing.” Let’s cherish a warm heart that accepts others rather than perfect understanding.
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