How to Read “餅は餅屋”
Mochi wa mochiya
Meaning of “餅は餅屋”
“Rice cake is rice cake shop” means that leaving things to specialists in that field is the most reliable way to achieve good results.
No matter how skilled a person may be, they cannot match specialists who have accumulated years of experience in their field. Rice cake shops can make delicious rice cakes not simply because they have the tools. It’s because they possess techniques cultivated through years of experience: the eye to judge rice quality, the sense to determine optimal moisture content, and fine adjustments according to season and humidity. This proverb teaches the importance of not trying to do everything yourself, but trusting the knowledge and skills of specialists and requesting the right person for the right job. Even today, it’s used in situations that respect specialization, such as consulting lawyers for legal problems, doctors for illnesses, and craftsmen for home repairs.
Origin and Etymology
“Rice cake is rice cake shop” has origins deeply connected to the craftsman culture of the Edo period. Japan at that time was a society where craftsmen with high levels of specialization in their respective occupations were active. Rice cake shops were among these, and they were specialists who required skilled techniques not just for making rice cakes, but for everything from selecting rice to water adjustment, steaming time, and pounding methods.
In Edo towns, many expressions of the form “○○ is ○○ shop” were born. These were phrases expressing that each craftsman possessed excellent techniques in their respective fields. “Rice cake is rice cake shop” became particularly established because of the depth of rice cake-making techniques and their connection to important events like New Year’s celebrations where failure was not permitted.
Indeed, when amateurs pound rice cakes, they cannot achieve the smoothness, stickiness, and beautiful finish that professional rice cake shops create. This clear difference in technical skill became deeply engraved in people’s hearts as a proverb. The people of the Edo period expressed their respect for specialists’ techniques and the importance of putting the right person in the right place through this familiar example of rice cake shops.
Interesting Facts
Rice cakes were special food for Japanese people, indispensable at life milestones such as “lifetime rice cakes” and “birthday rice cakes.” Therefore, rice cake shop techniques went beyond mere business to play an important role in shaping people’s precious memories.
Rice cake shops in the Edo period faced their busiest time of the year before New Year’s. The quality of rice cakes during this period was so important that it determined the success or failure of the year’s business, so craftsmen are said to have staked their lives on improving their techniques.
Usage Examples
- Computer repair is rice cake is rice cake shop, so let’s not tinker with it strangely and take it to a specialist shop
- Hair cutting is rice cake is rice cake shop, so it’s best to leave it to a professional hairdresser after all
Modern Interpretation
In modern society, the concept of “rice cake is rice cake shop” has come to have more complex meanings. With the spread of the internet, all kinds of information have become easily accessible, leading many people to think “maybe I can do this myself.” The DIY boom and the spread of side job culture also support this tendency.
However, at the same time, it could be said that the value of specialization has actually increased. Precisely because we live in an age overflowing with information, judgment based on accurate knowledge and experience has become important. In highly specialized fields such as medicine, law, IT, and finance, amateur judgment errors can lead to significant risks.
On the other hand, changes can also be seen in the concept of “rice cake is rice cake shop” in modern times. Not only traditional vertical specialization, but “T-shaped personnel” with knowledge spanning multiple fields and collaboration between different specialists have come to be valued. Also, as AI technology develops and some specialized work becomes automated, the value required of human specialists is also changing.
Modern “rice cake is rice cake shop” may be teaching us the importance of not simply leaving everything to specialists, but of identifying appropriate specialists and collaborating effectively while communicating with them.
When AI Hears This
“Leave it to the experts” was actually a warning that saw through the dangerous pitfalls of modern society 300 years ago.
In today’s medical field, overspecialization has led to a serious “can’t see the forest for the trees” situation. Cardiologists only examine hearts, dermatologists only look at skin. The number of doctors who grasp the complete picture of their patients is decreasing, and cases where multiple symptoms cannot be diagnosed in relation to each other are on the rise.
The same is true in the IT industry. Programming language specialists create systems that ignore user-friendliness. Database experts neglect security concerns. Even when experts from various fields come together, projects that fail as a whole are endless.
Even more frightening is “blind faith in experts.” Even though economists’ predictions continue to be wrong, people still believe “they must be right because they’re experts.” Even when nutritional science common sense is overturned every few years, people uncritically accept new expert opinions.
Craftsmen in the Edo period understood not just the techniques of rice cake making, but the entire process from procuring materials to sales. In other words, “leave it to the experts” wasn’t simply advocating division of labor, but was a profound teaching that said “maintain the balance between specialization and overall perspective.” Perhaps now, more than ever, is the time to reconsider this ancient wisdom.
Lessons for Today
“Rice cake is rice cake shop” teaches modern people the importance of humility and trust. It reminds us to step away from perfectionism that tries to do everything ourselves, and to remember the value of recognizing and relying on others’ specialization.
In modern society, there are many problems we tend to handle alone. But by consulting appropriate specialists, we can find unexpected solutions or save unnecessary time and effort. This is not admitting our own lack of ability, but rather making a wise judgment.
This proverb also teaches the spirit of mutual respect. Just as you rely on specialists in other fields, you yourself may be a “rice cake shop” for someone else. By utilizing each other’s areas of expertise, couldn’t we build a richer society? It’s okay not to be perfect. We can support each other and find places where each of us can shine.
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