How to Read “A ten-year plan lies in planting trees”
jūnen no kei wa ki wo ueru ni ari
Meaning of “A ten-year plan lies in planting trees”
This proverb teaches that long-term planning and investing in the future are important. Planting a tree that takes ten years to grow represents an idea.
Even if results don’t come immediately, the effort will surely bring great benefits in the future.
People use this proverb when talking about education, business, human resource development, environmental conservation, and other matters that require time and dedication.
It emphasizes the importance of actions that look toward the future, not just chasing immediate results.
Today, this way of thinking applies to many situations. Corporate long-term management strategies, children’s education policies, career development, and asset management all benefit from this wisdom.
In an age that demands instant results, this proverb reminds us of the value of taking time to nurture things carefully.
Origin and Etymology
This proverb likely comes from words recorded in the ancient Chinese text “Guanzi.” “Guanzi” is a book that compiled the thoughts of Guan Zhong, a prime minister of Qi during the Spring and Autumn period.
It contains a passage that says: “For a one-year plan, nothing is better than planting grain. For a ten-year plan, nothing is better than planting trees. For a lifelong plan, nothing is better than cultivating people.”
These words show what to invest in based on your time horizon. If you’re thinking one year ahead, plant grain. If you’re thinking ten years ahead, plant trees.
If you’re thinking about your whole life, cultivate people. This is a step-by-step teaching.
As it spread to Japan, the part about “A ten-year plan lies in planting trees” became especially popular on its own.
Trees don’t bear fruit immediately after planting. They take many years to spread their roots, thicken their trunks, and eventually create large shade and produce fruit.
Through this natural process, the proverb teaches the importance of having a long-term perspective.
More than two thousand years have passed since Guan Zhong lived, yet this teaching hasn’t lost its relevance. This is probably because humans tend to get caught up in immediate benefits.
Usage Examples
- Raising children follows “A ten-year plan lies in planting trees,” so it’s important not to rush and to watch over them with patience
- Let’s nurture our new business with the spirit of “A ten-year plan lies in planting trees,” without demanding immediate results
Universal Wisdom
Humans have an instinct to grab immediate benefits. If there’s fruit to eat today, we want to take it. We want to prioritize today over tomorrow.
This is a natural feeling from our survival instinct.
However, what makes humans different from other animals is our ability to imagine the future. We can think about what results our current actions will bring later.
This proverb has been passed down through generations because it reflects this dual nature of humanity. The self that chases immediate profit versus the self that endures for the future.
This conflict was the same in ancient China as it is in modern Japan.
Someone who plants a tree doesn’t even know if they’ll rest in its shade. Yet they plant it anyway because they have trust and hope in the future.
Our ancestors understood something important. Truly valuable things don’t come quickly. And today’s small actions become tomorrow’s great harvest.
This wisdom will never fade as long as humans swing between short-term desires and long-term reason.
When AI Hears This
Looking at tree growth in numbers shows how unreliable human intuition can be. For example, plant a seedling and in the first three years, it grows slowly to 30 centimeters, 50 centimeters, then 80 centimeters.
At this stage, many people feel “it’s not growing much” and give up.
But actually, underground, the roots are spreading exponentially. From the fourth year onward, growth suddenly accelerates at a doubling pace each year.
This follows the same principle as compound interest. Invest one million yen at 5 percent annual interest, and in the first five years, it increases by only about 280,000 yen.
It looks modest. But after 20 years, it becomes 1.65 million yen. After 30 years, 3.32 million yen.
The pace of increase rises sharply in the later stages because interest generates more interest. Trees work the same way.
Spreading roots absorb more nutrients, and increased branches and leaves produce more photosynthesis, further accelerating growth.
The human brain is sensitive to linear changes—things that increase at the same pace each year. But it’s insensitive to exponential changes.
So we judge “there’s no effect” after just a few years.
But in reality, the foundation is being built steadily in invisible ways. Whether you can endure this “invisible accumulation period” makes a huge difference ten years later.
Planting a tree is also training to counter human cognitive bias.
Lessons for Today
Modern society has accelerated everything. Information arrives instantly, products arrive the next day, and results are demanded immediately.
However, truly important things still require time to grow, now as always.
This proverb teaches us the courage not to rush. While others chase short-term results, taking action with a ten-year vision might feel lonely sometimes.
You might feel anxious when results don’t come quickly.
But people who plant trees know something. Today’s small step becomes tomorrow’s great harvest.
What tree should you plant in your life right now? It might be continuing to learn. It might be carefully nurturing relationships.
It might be investing in your health or sharpening your expertise.
Whatever tree it is, if you don’t plant it today, there will be no shade ten years from now. For your future self, plant a seed today.
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