How to Read “Going is easy, coming back is scary”
iki wa yoi yoi kaeri wa kowai
Meaning of “Going is easy, coming back is scary”
This proverb means that starting something often feels simple and carefree. But later on, difficulties and dangers await you.
When you first begin or set out, your mood is light. You don’t see the problems yet. So you tend to think too casually about what you’re doing.
But in reality, as you move forward, you often face unexpected obstacles. Your initial momentum fades and you struggle more than you thought.
People use this proverb to warn someone who’s about to start something without thinking it through. It also describes situations where someone faces difficulties later and regrets their choice.
It’s often used to caution about things that are easy to start but hard to clean up afterward. Examples include debt, careless promises, and actions without planning.
Even today, this lesson applies well to situations like overspending on credit cards. Or taking on work without thinking deeply about it first.
Origin and Etymology
The exact first appearance of this proverb in literature is unclear. But people likely used it widely during the Edo period.
What’s interesting is that the phrase starts with the light rhythm of “iki wa yoi yoi.” The repetition of “yoi yoi” expresses the sound of things going smoothly.
You can almost picture someone heading out cheerfully, maybe even humming a tune. The words themselves create that carefree feeling.
This expression probably came from the real-life experiences of Edo period people. Travel back then was incomparably harder than today.
When you departed, you felt hopeful and lighthearted. But on the way back after finishing your business, fatigue built up. Daylight faded and the road became harder to see. Your money might have run low too.
Especially on mountain roads and passes, there was a physical reality. Going might be downhill and easy. But coming back meant climbing uphill.
These concrete travel experiences eventually became a life lesson. Japanese people turned their travel experiences into words expressing a universal truth.
That truth is this: things you start casually can bring unexpected difficulties later.
Interesting Facts
This proverb actually connects to the scariness found in the children’s song “Toryanse.” That song also has a line about “going is fine, but coming back is scary.”
It sings about visiting Tenjin shrine. Going there is permitted, but the return journey is strictly questioned. The song captures that tension.
The expression “yoi yoi” in this proverb likely came from Edo period chants and festival calls. The rhythmic words “yoi yoi” were used at festivals and work sites.
They were perfect for expressing the feeling of moving forward smoothly and cheerfully.
Usage Examples
- Taking out a new loan is easy, but it’s truly “going is easy, coming back is scary”—once repayment started, life became difficult
- I casually agreed to the drinking party invitation, but it was a case of “going is easy, coming back is scary”—I got dragged to the second and third rounds and missed the last train
Universal Wisdom
This proverb has been passed down because it sharply captures essential human psychology. We humans tend to be optimistic when starting things.
Excitement about something new, hope for unseen possibilities, and above all, the comfort of “not having lost anything yet” make our judgment too lenient.
But once you’ve started moving, turning back becomes difficult. Time passes, effort gets spent, and promises to others are made.
Then you realize. It’s harder than you thought. Unexpected problems keep appearing one after another.
Fatigue accumulates, resources decrease, and your options narrow. The contrast between “going” and “coming back” brilliantly expresses the asymmetry between “beginning” and “ending” in life.
Marriage, business ventures, and relationships all start in an instant. But maintaining them or resolving issues requires long time and effort.
Humans cannot fully predict the future. That’s exactly why caution before starting is necessary.
Our ancestors understood this human nature deeply. At the very moment of hopeful departure, you need the wisdom to imagine the difficulties of the return journey.
This teaching is an eternal guideline. It helps humans live while balancing optimism and caution.
When AI Hears This
Physics has an interesting asymmetry. Dropping and breaking a cup takes an instant. But restoring the original cup from fragments is virtually impossible.
This is the law of entropy increase. It’s a basic rule of the universe: “things naturally move toward disorder.”
When you think about this proverb physically, you notice something. The quality of energy needed for going and returning is completely different.
Climbing uphill is certainly hard, but what you need to do is simple. Use your muscles and move forward step by step.
But going downhill, potential energy keeps converting to kinetic energy on its own. In other words, if you leave it alone, you’ll accelerate. You need to keep braking.
What’s more important is this: this control also requires energy. And that energy dissipates as heat. This is why your knees and muscles feel the burden.
The law of energy conservation says going and returning should be the same. But in reality, returning has a bigger invisible burden called “control cost.”
The entire universe moves toward entropy increase. Within that, we’re constantly forced to “control to maintain order.”
More accidents happen on downhill slopes than uphill ones. This is the result of physical laws appearing in reality.
Lessons for Today
What this proverb teaches you today is the importance of one habit. “Think about the end before you begin.”
Taking on new challenges is wonderful. But before you do, stop for a moment. Can you keep this promise? Can you pay this off completely? Can you maintain this relationship honestly?
Modern society makes things especially easy. Contracts complete with one click. You can speak casually on social media. Connections with people form easily.
The barrier to starting has become extremely low. That’s exactly why this lesson carries more weight now.
Forgotten subscription service cancellations. Starting side jobs casually. Easy job changes. All have simple “going” parts. But unexpected effort waits in the “coming back” part.
But this isn’t teaching you to be timid. Rather, when you start something after thinking it through, you can tackle it with resolve.
If you can imagine the difficulties of the return journey, you can also prepare for them. May your life choices become wiser and more responsible.
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