How to Read “看板に偽りあり”
Kanban ni itsuwari ari
Meaning of “看板に偽りあり”
“Sign has falsehood” is a proverb that describes situations where appearance or advertising claims don’t match the actual content.
This proverb is used when there’s a discrepancy between what’s advertised on a shop’s sign or in advertisements and the actual quality of products or services provided. In other words, it refers to situations where the outward advertising or appearance looks impressive, but when you actually experience it, it’s disappointing or different from what was promised.
Examples of usage include when a restaurant’s food is completely different from the photos on their menu sign, or when you visit a well-reputed store only to find it’s not as good as expected. It can also be used about people, referring to individuals who have impressive appearances or titles but lack the actual ability to match.
The reason for using this proverb is to express disappointment or criticism about the gap between expectations and reality. Even today, we can feel the accuracy of this expression when our actual experiences differ from online reviews or advertisements.
Origin and Etymology
The origin of “Sign has falsehood” can be traced back to the commercial culture of the Edo period. During the Edo period, signs were displayed at virtually every merchant shop and craftsman’s store. These signs played an important role in conveying products and business types to people who couldn’t read.
Signs featured pictures of products, shop names, and sometimes advertising phrases like “best in the world” or “specialty.” However, when customers actually entered the stores, the products were often not as wonderful as advertised on the signs, or different from what they expected.
Particularly in Edo’s entertainment districts, competition was fierce, and there was a tendency for sign expressions to become increasingly exaggerated to attract customers. Phrases like “best in Edo” and “unparalleled taste” proliferated, and the divergence from actual quality sometimes became problematic.
From these commercial realities, this proverb was born with the meaning “what’s written on the sign differs from the actual content.” It was a truly practical and familiar proverb born from the common people’s life experiences during the Edo period. In modern terms, it would be similar to the feeling of pointing out differences between advertisements and actual products.
Interesting Facts
Signs in the Edo period held even greater importance than modern advertisements. This was because literacy rates weren’t particularly high at the time, and signs that expressed products through pictures and symbols were the only source of information for people who couldn’t read. Therefore, specialized sign painters existed, and how to create attractive and easy-to-understand signs determined the success or failure of businesses.
The term “kanban musume” (poster girl) still used today was born from the opposite concept of this proverb. It might have been merchants’ wisdom to enhance their store’s reputation by having a beautiful girl present, creating a state of “no falsehood in the sign.”
Usage Examples
- That famous restaurant was a case of “Sign has falsehood” – the food that came out was completely different from the photos
- His resume looks impressive, but when we actually had him work, it felt like “Sign has falsehood”
Modern Interpretation
In modern society, “Sign has falsehood” has taken on more complex and multi-layered meanings. In today’s internet age, we live surrounded by an incomparably larger number of “signs” than people in the Edo period.
SNS profile pictures, corporate websites, online shopping product images, video streaming site thumbnails. All of these function as modern versions of “signs,” and cases where they diverge from actual content are rapidly increasing. Particularly with the spread of photo editing apps that can “enhance” images, “sign fraud” has become commonplace even at the individual level.
On the other hand, with the development of review sites and rating systems, products and services that exhibit “Sign has falsehood” tend to be weeded out faster than before. Consumer scrutiny has definitely become stricter, and companies are beginning to understand that superficial advertising alone won’t suffice.
However, ironically, precisely because we live in an information-saturated modern era, people have become more strongly influenced by “visual impressions.” The time for first impressions to be judged is getting shorter, and the importance of “signs” has increased even more than in the Edo period.
This proverb continues to teach us the importance of developing an eye for discerning essence, serving as a lesson that remains fully applicable in modern times.
When AI Hears This
Today’s leading brands do the opposite of “false advertising” – they intentionally adopt a strategy of not just “truthful advertising” but actually “understated advertising.” This is an application of what psychology calls “expectation management.”
For example, Apple doesn’t tout new products as “revolutionary” in their announcements. Instead, they calmly explain technical improvements. But when you actually use the product, the experience far exceeds expectations. In contrast, brands that rely on excessive hype artificially inflate customer expectations, leading to disappointment when the actual product fails to meet those inflated promises.
Marketing research shows that customer satisfaction is determined by “actual experience ÷ prior expectations.” It’s more efficient to moderately control the denominator than to increase the numerator. High-end restaurants that keep modest exteriors while surprising guests with their interior and cuisine follow the same logic.
In other words, modern branding doesn’t just avoid false advertising – it deliberately keeps the “storefront more modest than the actual capability,” maximizing the impact of the customer experience. This represents a complete reversal of thinking: intentionally creating the “gap between expectation and reality” that this proverb warns against, but this time in the customer’s favor.
Lessons for Today
What “Sign has falsehood” teaches us today is the importance of developing the ability to see through to the essence without being misled by superficial information.
In our information-overloaded modern society, attractive “signs” are everywhere. However, to find truly valuable things, it’s important to develop the habit of stopping and making calm judgments. Checking reviews, listening to people who have actually experienced it, and if possible, seeing with your own eyes. Such obvious things are actually the most reliable methods.
At the same time, this proverb makes us think about our own way of being. Aren’t we ourselves becoming beings with “Sign has falsehood”? Aren’t we showing off on social media or trying to make ourselves appear bigger than our actual abilities?
True trust relationships begin with letting people know your genuine, unadorned self. While “signs” are important, putting more effort into enriching the content is even more crucial. If you do so, people who truly understand and cherish you should gather around you.
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