How to Read “Don’t say “magnificent” without seeing Nikko”
Nikkō wo mizushite kekkō to iu na
Meaning of “Don’t say “magnificent” without seeing Nikko”
This proverb teaches that you shouldn’t judge whether something is good or bad without actually seeing or experiencing truly wonderful things. It means you should first encounter the best and finest things before making judgments, rather than evaluating based only on your limited experience and knowledge.
This saying is used when encouraging someone who is trying to evaluate something to have a broader perspective. For example, it’s used to advise people who are satisfied with just a little experience, or who criticize things without knowing the real deal, that they should first experience the best before speaking.
Even today, especially in an age when information is easily available on the internet, this proverb reminds us of the importance of actually seeing with our own eyes and feeling with our own senses. It conveys the universal truth that real value can only be understood through direct experience.
Origin and Etymology
This proverb is believed to have originated during the Edo period to praise the magnificence of Nikko Toshogu Shrine. Nikko Toshogu, which enshrines Tokugawa Ieyasu, underwent major renovations during the time of the third shogun Iemitsu, resulting in gorgeously decorated shrine buildings. Their beauty overwhelmed people of that time and became widely known as “Japan’s finest architectural beauty.”
The saying began to be used with the meaning that one cannot speak about the beauty or magnificence of things without actually seeing this grand architectural complex. During the Edo period, pilgrimages to Nikko became popular even among common people, and it became a place of longing that everyone wanted to visit at least once in their lifetime.
The word “kekkō” is often used in modern times to mean “enough” or “no thank you,” but originally it meant “splendid” or “magnificent.” In other words, the teaching embedded here is that you cannot judge what is truly splendid without seeing the magnificence of Nikko Toshogu. This is a persuasive proverb that teaches the importance of confirming things with your own eyes, using a famous place that represented Japan at the time as an example.
Interesting Facts
Nikko Toshogu Shrine has over 5,000 carvings, including the famous “see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil” three monkeys, and many of them are decorated with gold leaf. The decorations that gathered the best techniques of that time are beautiful enough to overwhelm us even today.
Behind the birth of this proverb was the travel boom of the Edo period. Along with “Ise pilgrimage,” “Nikko pilgrimage” was a common person’s dream, and as a place to visit at least once in a lifetime, many people walked long distances to make their pilgrimage.
Usage Examples
- Talking about Japanese architecture after seeing just a few temples in Kyoto is like saying “magnificent” without seeing Nikko
- Evaluate it after eating authentic Italian food—they say don’t say “magnificent” without seeing Nikko
Universal Wisdom
What this proverb teaches us is that humans have a fundamental blind spot: “not knowing what we don’t know.” We tend to understand the world within the range of our own experience and judge things within that narrow framework. However, when we encounter something truly wonderful, we realize how small our previous standards were.
Everyone evaluates things based on their own experience. This is natural, but it’s also dangerous. Because if you don’t know the best, you might mistake something mediocre for something wonderful. Conversely, once you touch true excellence even once, your standards for judgment in life change dramatically.
This proverb has been passed down for so long because it touches on the truth that “encounters with the real thing” are essential for human growth. To avoid becoming a frog in a well, you need the courage to step outside the well. Knowing the best also means expanding your own possibilities. Our ancestors embedded the importance of humility and aspiration in these few words.
When AI Hears This
When the human brain judges “this is beautiful,” it actually has no absolute standard. According to cognitive science research, our evaluations are always made in comparison with past experiences. In other words, the most beautiful thing you’ve seen so far is unconsciously engraved in your brain as your “beauty reference point.”
What’s interesting about this proverb is that it points out that the overwhelming experience of Nikko Toshogu changes the evaluation axis for all subsequent architecture. For example, someone who thought their local shrine was “splendid” suddenly finds that shrine lacking after seeing Nikko. The shrine itself hasn’t changed. The reference point in the brain has been rewritten. Behavioral economist Kahneman’s research shows that humans change their evaluation of the same object by more than 30 percent depending on what they compare it to.
What’s even more interesting is that once this anchor effect is set, it doesn’t easily disappear. After seeing Nikko, that memory is stored in long-term memory as the “maximum value of beauty,” and all subsequent evaluations are measured by their distance from it. In other words, the word “magnificent” itself is merely indicating a relative position from the maximum value in one’s personal experience database. Given how the brain works, an absolute “magnificent” doesn’t exist.
Lessons for Today
In modern society, we can access countless pieces of information through the internet. However, this proverb asks us: Are you really seeing with your own eyes and feeling with your heart?
Knowing information and actually experiencing something are completely different things. You can talk about a highly-rated restaurant on review sites, but you won’t know its true deliciousness without actually eating there. You can see images of famous paintings on your smartphone, but the emotion you feel standing before the real thing in a museum is on another level.
What this proverb teaches us is that to enrich your life, you sometimes need to make the effort to touch the real thing. This is never wasted time. Experiences of encountering first-class things polish your sensibility, improve your judgment, and enhance the quality of your life.
Precisely because we live in a modern age that pursues convenience and efficiency, please cherish the time to stop and experience the real thing. That experience will raise your life standards and open doors to a richer future.
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