How to Read “There is no borrowing of bonito flakes and whetstones”
Katsuobushi to toishi no kariire wa nai
Meaning of “There is no borrowing of bonito flakes and whetstones”
This proverb shows practical wisdom about human relationships. It teaches that items which disappear or decrease with use should not be borrowed or lent.
Bonito flakes get smaller the more you shave them. Whetstones wear down the more you use them to sharpen blades.
If you lend these consumable items, they will definitely be smaller when returned. The lender loses out. The borrower also faces a dilemma about how to compensate for what was used.
This proverb doesn’t encourage stinginess. Rather, it’s a preventive measure to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Lending and borrowing consumables often leads to bad feelings on both sides. By keeping them off-limits from the start, people can maintain good relationships.
Even today, this teaching reminds us to be careful about lending things that get used up or consumed.
Origin and Etymology
The exact literary origin of this proverb is unclear. However, it likely emerged from the everyday experiences of common people during the Edo period.
There’s a reason these two seemingly different items appear together. Bonito flakes shrink as you shave them for cooking. Whetstones wear down as you sharpen blades on them.
Both are consumables that definitely decrease with use.
During the Edo period, neighbors in communal housing borrowed many things from each other. These included soy sauce, miso, and rice.
But bonito flakes and whetstones were exceptions. They decreased with every use. Even when returned, they couldn’t be restored to their original state.
You could return the same amount of soy sauce. But you couldn’t restore shaved bonito flakes or worn whetstones.
These two items were chosen because they were essential to daily life. Bonito flakes were crucial for cooking. Whetstones were necessary for maintaining everyday tools.
Because they were so important and closely tied to daily living, they were excluded from borrowing. This proverb captures the concentrated wisdom of common people in a highly practical way.
Interesting Facts
Bonito flakes were extremely expensive during the Edo period. High-quality hon-karebushi was so valued that samurai families used it as a gift item.
People stored bonito in block form rather than pre-shaved for long-term preservation. This made it even more precious once shaved, since you couldn’t reverse the process.
Whetstones were also expensive when of good quality. For craftsmen, they were essential work tools.
Natural whetstones varied in grain size depending on their origin. Craftsmen selected different stones for different blade types and purposes.
A well-worn whetstone told the story of a craftsman’s work history. It was a treasured tool that represented years of labor.
Usage Examples
- Printer ink is like “there is no borrowing of bonito flakes and whetstones,” so I’d better buy my own
- Gas money follows “there is no borrowing of bonito flakes and whetstones,” so let’s split the cost if we go on a road trip
Universal Wisdom
The universal wisdom in this proverb is about the importance of boundaries in human relationships. We are social creatures who live by helping each other. But we cannot share everything.
Lending consumables is difficult because their value changes by the time they’re returned. Since you cannot return them in the same condition as when borrowed, someone must lose.
This is both a physical and psychological problem.
The lender worries about how to think about the decreased amount. The borrower stresses about how to compensate properly.
Our ancestors learned from experience that such delicate issues create cracks in relationships. That’s why they developed the wisdom of drawing clear lines from the beginning.
This isn’t coldness but actually warmth. Rather than letting small dissatisfactions and doubts accumulate until relationships break, sharing clear rules helps maintain good relationships over time.
In human relationships, sharing everything isn’t always a virtue. True trust can only be built when there’s appropriate distance and boundaries.
When AI Hears This
Shaving bonito flakes and sharpening blades on whetstones share something in common. With each use, the material itself is definitely lost.
This is an everyday manifestation of the second law of thermodynamics. This universal rule states that entropy in an isolated system always increases.
Entropy is simply “the degree of irreversibility.” When you spill water from a cup, it spreads on the floor. It won’t naturally return to the cup.
Bonito flakes are the same. Once shaved, they become shavings and cannot return to a block. Whetstones lose microparticles with each sharpening, wearing down the surface.
From the moment of borrowing until return, irreversible change must occur.
What’s interesting is that money or books can be “returned in the same condition.” Money maintains the same value if not spent. Books can minimize deterioration with careful handling.
But bonito flakes and whetstones have their very purpose in “being used.” Borrowing without using them makes no sense. Using them means they definitely decrease.
This contradiction makes lending impossible.
What humans have recognized through experience as “things that cannot be lent” are actually impossible to return at the level of physical laws. This proves that our common sense aligns surprisingly well with universal truths.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches modern people how to draw boundaries that maintain healthy relationships.
In modern society, the concept of sharing has spread. Sharing various things is encouraged. But sharing everything isn’t always best.
For consumables and things that decrease with use, it’s better for each person to prepare their own. This ultimately benefits everyone.
For example, the same principle applies to many modern situations. These include using office supplies at work, lending cars to friends, and managing daily necessities in shared housing.
Leaving things vague creates later complaints. People think “that person uses it all the time” or “I’m the only one losing out.”
The key is to clarify things from the start. Decide concrete rules like splitting costs, buying individually, or dividing burden according to usage.
This way, nobody feels bad. This isn’t stinginess but kindness that considers others.
Don’t be afraid to draw appropriate lines to maintain good relationships over the long term.
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