How to Read “Opinions and mochi get better the more you knead them”
Iken to mochi wa tsuku hodo nereru
Meaning of “Opinions and mochi get better the more you knead them”
This proverb teaches that both opinions and mochi become better through repeated refinement. Just as mochi becomes stickier and tastier the more you pound it, opinions also grow more polished and excellent through repeated discussion.
People use this proverb in meetings and consultations to warn against hasty conclusions. It’s used when you want to convey the value of repeated consideration rather than settling after just one or two discussions.
It also serves as encouragement when someone feels their ideas are immature, urging them to develop their thinking further.
Even today, this teaching lives on in project planning meetings and situations requiring important decisions. Initial opinions may be rough, but as team members discuss them repeatedly, excellent ideas that nobody initially thought of can emerge.
This is exactly like the process of mochi changing as it’s pounded again and again. This proverb teaches us that improving quality is worth the time and effort.
Origin and Etymology
The exact first appearance of this proverb in literature is unclear. However, it’s believed to have emerged from the combination of Japan’s mochi-making culture and its culture of discussion.
Mochi-making has long been cherished as a Japanese annual event. The work of pounding steamed glutinous rice with a mortar and pestle wasn’t just a cooking method—it was a skill.
The way mochi becomes stickier, smoother, and more delicious the more you pound it was something many people actually witnessed and experienced. This mochi-making process was likely overlaid with the image of people’s discussions and exchanges of opinions.
Meanwhile, the word “nereru” (to knead) has an interesting duality. It describes both the physical act of kneading mochi and the mental act of refining opinions.
This proverb was born because these two types of “kneading” are expressed with the same word. The richness of the Japanese language made this metaphor possible.
During the Edo period, there were many situations where groups made decisions together—discussions at temple schools and domain schools, consultations at merchant houses, and more.
In such settings, this proverb was likely used to convey the importance of repeated discussions rather than rushing to conclusions. It was wisdom that taught the essence of discussion through the familiar scene of mochi-making.
Interesting Facts
In mochi-making, if the person pounding and the person turning the mochi don’t work in sync, there’s danger of the mallet hitting someone’s hand. For this reason, mochi-making wasn’t just about making mochi—it was also a place to cultivate cooperation between people.
Similarly, refining opinions through discussion requires cooperation—listening to others and expressing your own thoughts at the right timing. This proverb may also contain such subtleties of human relationships.
The word “nereru” originally referred to the work of softening silk thread. Making something hard soft and easy to handle through repeated effort—this sensation applies interestingly to both mochi and opinions.
Usage Examples
- Let’s discuss this proposal with everyone one more time. They say opinions and mochi get better the more you knead them, so there must still be room for improvement
- His suggestion seemed questionable at first, but through repeated discussion it became a wonderful idea. Opinions and mochi get better the more you knead them, after all
Universal Wisdom
This proverb has been passed down because it captures two essential human qualities: our “longing for perfection” and our “trust in process.”
We all wish to create something perfect from the start. But in reality, the first step is always imperfect.
When facing this gap, people can choose two paths. Give up in disappointment at the imperfection, or trust the process of improvement and move forward. This proverb gives us courage to choose the latter path.
What’s interesting is that this proverb places value on “process” rather than “talent.” No matter who pounds mochi, it gets better the more it’s pounded.
Opinions are the same. Even if the initial idea is ordinary, it gains brilliance through repeated consideration. This democratic hope has captured many people’s hearts.
This proverb also teaches the value of “time.” In modern society, quick decisions are often considered virtuous, but truly important things are worth taking time over.
Better results come from careful refinement than from rushing to conclusions. This truth may need to be reconsidered now more than ever, in an age dominated by efficiency-first thinking.
Human wisdom isn’t something that’s completed in an instant—it’s something that matures over time.
When AI Hears This
Mochi becoming more resilient through pounding actually involves the same principle as forging metal by hammering it. In materials science, this is called “work hardening”—the more force you apply from outside, the more the internal structure aligns and strengthens.
In mochi’s case, pounding stretches the starch molecular chains, making their entanglement denser. Weak bonds break and are replaced by stronger ones. In other words, mochi-making is a process that strengthens the whole while selectively destroying fragile parts.
Remarkably, the process of refining opinions matches this completely. Through repeated discussion, weak points in logic are broken by counterarguments and replaced with stronger reasoning.
For example, a vague claim like “I just feel this is right” crumbles each time it receives questions or criticism, and gets reconstructed into claims backed by data and concrete examples.
Through this process, the internal structure of opinions becomes denser, contradictions decrease, and consistency increases.
What’s interesting is that both require “stress of appropriate intensity.” Hitting mochi too hard tears it, while hitting too softly doesn’t change its structure.
With opinions too, constructive criticism leads to strengthening, but excessive stress like personal attacks stops thinking. This proverb empirically captured a universal strengthening mechanism that runs through both the physical and intellectual worlds.
Lessons for Today
What this proverb teaches modern you is “the courage not to fear incompleteness.”
In the age of social media, we’re surrounded by posts that look perfect. We feel pressure to produce something complete from the start.
But truly valuable things don’t need to be perfect from the beginning. What matters is the attitude of continuous improvement.
If you’re working on a project or thinking about a plan, don’t aim for perfection in one go. First give it form, then review and improve it repeatedly.
In that repetition, unexpectedly wonderful ideas will emerge.
Also, value dialogue with others. Rather than thinking alone, talking with someone will polish your opinions surprisingly well.
Don’t fear criticism—rather, welcome discussion. That open attitude will elevate your thinking to the next level.
Completion isn’t a destination—it exists within the process. Making things a little better today than yesterday, tomorrow than today. That accumulation is true growth.
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