When Rivers Are Deep, Fish And Turtles Gather There; When Mountains And Forests Are Lush, Birds And Beasts Gather There: Japanese Proverb Meaning

How to Read “When rivers are deep, fish and turtles gather there; when mountains and forests are lush, birds and beasts gather there”

Kawabuchi fukakushite gyobetsu kore ni kishi, sanrin shigereba kinjū kore ni kisu

Meaning of “When rivers are deep, fish and turtles gather there; when mountains and forests are lush, birds and beasts gather there”

This proverb means that excellent leaders and environments naturally attract people.

Just as fish gather in deep river pools and birds and beasts settle in thick forests, people are naturally drawn to virtuous leaders and appealing organizations.

This saying is used to describe situations where talented people gather around excellent managers.

It also applies when job applicants flood to workplaces with good conditions.

You can use it to explain how students gather in classes taught by respected teachers.

It also describes how customers constantly visit shops with good reputations.

People use this expression to convey the essence of what makes people gather.

It shows that instead of forcing people to come, you should first improve yourself and your environment.

Then people will naturally gather on their own.

This idea still applies today with social media followers and customers.

Rather than trying to force growth, providing valuable content or products naturally attracts support.

Origin and Etymology

This proverb is believed to originate from classical Chinese thought.

It appears especially in Confucian philosophical texts.

The saying was used in contexts explaining the ideal way for rulers to govern.

Let’s look at how the words are structured.

“When rivers are deep” refers to deep river pools.

Deep pools contain abundant water, so fish and turtles naturally gather there.

Similarly, “when mountains and forests are lush” describes thickly growing mountain trees.

Birds and beasts gather there seeking shelter.

This expression overlays natural principles onto human society and organizational management.

Just as deep pools and thick forests attract living creatures, virtuous leaders and excellent environments naturally attract people.

Ancient China had a long-standing philosophy that rulers should govern through virtue.

Rather than forcing people to obey through power, the ideal was for people to naturally admire and gather around leaders.

This proverb expresses Eastern governance philosophy through beautiful natural metaphors.

It spread to Japan and became widely used there as well.

Interesting Facts

The “betsu” (鼈) that appears in this proverb refers to soft-shelled turtles.

Soft-shelled turtles have been prized since ancient times as premium food with excellent nutritional value.

By using soft-shelled turtles that live in deep pools as an example, the proverb implies more than just quantity.

It suggests that valuable things gather, not just large numbers.

“Kinjū” (禽獣) is an expression that collectively refers to birds and beasts.

Both birds that fly through the sky and beasts that crawl on the ground seek thick forests.

This effectively serves as a metaphor for all types of people gathering in excellent environments.

Usage Examples

• That company’s president has such wonderful character that, like “when rivers are deep, fish and turtles gather there; when mountains and forests are lush, birds and beasts gather there,” talented people keep gathering one after another
• Even without aggressive advertising, if we keep making good products, then like “when rivers are deep, fish and turtles gather there; when mountains and forests are lush, birds and beasts gather there,” customers will naturally come to us

Universal Wisdom

The universal truth this proverb speaks to lies in instinctive human behavior patterns.

Everyone seeks places where they feel safe, environments where they can grow, and people they can respect.

This is as fundamental a desire as living creatures seeking water, food, and safe shelter.

What’s interesting is that this proverb uses the expression “gather” rather than “collect.”

In other words, excellent leaders don’t try to forcibly attract people.

Simply by being there, people choose to gather on their own.

This gets at the essence of human relationships.

Truly attractive people and places don’t need to desperately promote themselves.

Also, by using expressions like “deep pools” and “thick forests,” this proverb shows the importance of essential richness rather than superficial appeal.

It’s not temporary trends or flashy appearances, but deep wisdom and rich humanity that have the power to attract people long-term.

In human society, it may be possible to make people obey through power or money.

But that’s not people truly gathering in the real sense.

As natural principles teach us, only with genuine appeal and value will people gather from their hearts and continue to stay.

Our ancestors must have perceived this universal law through observing nature.

When AI Hears This

A deep river isn’t simply a place where many fish gather.

It’s actually a space that simultaneously provides multiple different worlds.

In a one-meter shallow area versus a five-meter deep bottom, water temperature differs by several degrees.

Light quantity drops to less than one-tenth, and water pressure changes too.

In other words, within a single river, environments like separate planets stack vertically in multiple layers.

This structure is important because it creates a mechanism for organisms to coexist while avoiding competition.

For example, fish that prefer the surface layer, fish that drift in the middle layer, and turtles that crawl on the bottom each specialize in different layers.

This allows dozens of species to live in the same limited river space.

In ecology, this is called resource partitioning.

Conversely, in shallow rivers, these vertical options decrease.

Then organisms must compete for food and shelter in the same layer.

As a result, only a few strong species remain.

This proverb emphasizes depth by saying “when deep” because depth as a physical dimension becomes an invisible foundation supporting biodiversity.

Perhaps people experientially understood this.

Environmental richness isn’t just about breadth, but about the multidimensionality of choices.

Lessons for Today

What this proverb teaches modern people is the true meaning of self-improvement.

If you want to gather people and be admired, you must first become rich like a deep pool and attractive like a thick forest.

In modern society, people tend to focus only on social media follower counts and network size.

But this proverb shows a different path.

It teaches us to concentrate on raising essential value rather than superficial popularity.

If you work sincerely, show consideration for others, and deepen your expertise, people will naturally gather.

For those aiming to be leaders, this teaching is important too.

Rather than frantically trying to manage subordinates, first become someone worthy of respect.

Create a comfortable work environment, make fair judgments, and support members’ growth.

Then talented people will naturally choose your team.

Don’t rush.

Deep pools and thick forests aren’t created in a day.

But if you keep polishing yourself little by little each day, you’ll definitely become an attractive person who draws others in.