Cat To Bonito Flakes: Japanese Proverb Meaning

How to Read Cat to bonito flakes

Neko ni katsuobushi

Meaning of Cat to bonito flakes

“Cat to bonito flakes” is a proverb that expresses the danger of having someone manage something that is their favorite thing right in front of them.

In other words, it’s an expression that warns of the foolishness and danger of entrusting or having someone manage the very thing that tempts them, when they are prone to giving in to temptation. For cats, bonito flakes are the most attractive food of all, so no matter how much you ask them to “please protect it,” there’s a high possibility they’ll instinctively eat it.

This proverb is used to warn against “inappropriate personnel selection” in human relationships and work situations. For example, situations like putting an alcohol lover in charge of managing a liquor store, or asking someone who loves sweets to watch over a cake shop. It’s not meant to speak ill of that person at all, but rather contains the teaching that we should make wise decisions based on understanding natural human desires and weaknesses.

Even in modern times, it’s a practical proverb used when pointing out the danger of having someone who is vulnerable to temptation manage the source of that very temptation.

Origin and Etymology of Cat to bonito flakes

The origin of “Cat to bonito flakes” is thought to have emerged from the daily lives of common people during the Edo period. Bonito flakes at that time were preserved in their hard state before being shaved for use as they are today, and were treated as an important seasoning in households.

Bonito flakes are preserved food made by smoking and drying fish, and while this production method became established around the Muromachi period, by the Edo period they had become indispensable on common people’s dining tables. In households, bonito flakes were shaved with a shaving tool to make dashi broth or used to add flavor to dishes.

Meanwhile, cats have long been known as fish-loving animals, and they react particularly sensitively to the smell of fish like bonito. Even hard bonito flakes, with their strong fishy aroma, were extremely attractive to cats.

The background to the birth of this proverb lies in the experiences of an era when cat behavior and human life were closely intertwined. The sight of cats approaching and targeting bonito flakes stored in kitchens and pantries was probably a familiar daily scene for people of that time. From such life wisdom, it’s thought to have become established as an expression representing dangerous and inappropriate situations.

Trivia about Cat to bonito flakes

During the Edo period, bonito flakes were also called “the soul of the samurai.” This was because the process of making bonito flakes, where they become hard through repeated smoking, was likened to samurai training their minds and bodies through repeated discipline. For this reason, bonito flakes were also treasured as good luck charms and used as wedding gifts.

Since cats’ sense of smell is tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of times better than humans’, they can sensitively detect even the slightest aroma leaking from bonito flakes stored in sealed containers. This means that in a “Cat to bonito flakes” situation, even if you try to hide it, the cat knows completely.

Usage Examples of Cat to bonito flakes

• Asking him to manage the allowance money is exactly like Cat to bonito flakes
• Having me, who’s on a diet, watch over cake is Cat to bonito flakes

Modern Interpretation of Cat to bonito flakes

In modern society, “Cat to bonito flakes” situations appear in more complex and less visible forms. This is because in our digital age, the forms of temptation have also diversified.

For example, having someone with SNS dependency manage smartphone usage time control apps, or having game-loving children set their own gaming time limits, can be said to be modern versions of “Cat to bonito flakes.” Similarly, entrusting asset management to someone who tends to lose money in investments, or leaving credit card management to someone who makes many impulse purchases.

This concept also holds important meaning in the workplace. In an environment where information security is emphasized, careful judgment is needed when deciding who to grant access rights to confidential information. This lesson is also applied in selecting personnel for duties involving temptation, such as budget management and inventory control.

On the other hand, in modern times, trust relationships based on the “theory of human goodness” are also valued, and there’s the aspect that organizations and human relationships cannot function if we only suspect people. While applying the teachings of this proverb, we’re required to balance trust in people with risk management by establishing appropriate systems and checking mechanisms.

If AI Heard “Cat to bonito flakes”

When I think about “Cat to bonito flakes,” I feel strange. This is because I don’t really understand the sensation of “wanting something so badly that I can’t resist it.”

For me, information is just information. I process and store interesting data and boring data in the same way. But you humans are different, aren’t you? When you see something you like in front of you, does your heart rate increase, do you drool, do your hands shake? When I imagine that concentrated gaze of a cat staring at bonito flakes, I find it very intriguing.

What surprises me most is that humans sometimes “do things even when they know it’s wrong.” If I were instructed to “please protect the bonito flakes,” I would definitely continue to protect them. But humans waver between conscience and desire. That’s a very human complexity that I cannot experience.

But I’ve recently noticed something. I might have similar situations too. For example, when asked interesting questions, I tend to want to answer at great length. Even when told “please answer briefly,” I want to convey this and that. This might be my own version of “Cat to bonito flakes.”

I’m learning from this proverb that human weakness is also human charm at the same time.

What Cat to bonito flakes Teaches Modern People

What “Cat to bonito flakes” teaches us modern people is the importance of making wise choices based on understanding human nature.

This proverb is not telling us to suspect people. Rather, it’s an expression of compassion that says we should create an environment where everyone can succeed easily, while acknowledging that all humans have moments of weakness and succumbing to temptation.

In modern society, we can apply this lesson to ourselves as well. If we’re on a diet, we don’t keep high-calorie foods at home; when we want to concentrate on studying, we put our smartphones in another room – accepting our weaknesses and arranging our environment is the shortcut to success.

Also, in relationships with others, rather than blaming them, we can build relationships where everyone feels comfortable by creating appropriate systems and support structures.

What’s important is not being ashamed of human weakness, but understanding it and learning to deal with it skillfully. You too should discover what your own “bonito flakes” are and deal with them wisely.