How to Read “駿河の富士と一里塚”
Suruga no Fuji to ichirizuka
Meaning of “駿河の富士と一里塚”
This proverb means that things that appear modest but are practical are actually more valuable than things that are beautiful and eye-catching.
Mount Fuji is certainly beautiful and majestic, captivating everyone who sees it, but it doesn’t serve as a guide for travelers. On the other hand, while one ri milestones may appear modest, they have practical value in measuring distance and indicating direction. Through this contrast, the proverb teaches the importance of not being misled by flashy appearances and discerning true value and practicality.
This proverb is used in situations where one might be swayed by appearances or reputation, when there’s a need to discern essential value. For example, it’s used when choosing products based on practicality rather than being swayed by flashy advertising, or when evaluating people based on their actual abilities rather than their glamorous appearance. Even today, it’s a thought-provoking expression that teaches us the importance of having the discernment to see true value, especially when we tend to be misled by social media “aesthetics” and superficial charm.
Origin and Etymology
“Suruga’s Fuji and one ri milestone” is a proverb born from the highway culture of the Edo period. It draws from scenery familiar to people of that time: Mount Fuji towering over Suruga Province (present-day Shizuoka Prefecture) and the one ri milestones installed along the highways.
One ri milestones were road markers that the Edo shogunate installed every ri (about 4 kilometers) along major highways throughout the country, serving an important role as landmarks for travelers. They were constructed by piling up earth into mounds and planting trees like zelkova or pine on top, designed to be visible from a distance.
Meanwhile, Mount Fuji was a symbol of Suruga Province, beloved by people since ancient times for its beauty and majesty. However, for travelers walking the highways, while Mount Fuji was certainly beautiful and impressive, its practical value as a guide was inferior to that of the one ri milestones.
This proverb is thought to have originated from such travel realities of the Edo period. By contrasting something beautiful and conspicuous with something modest but practical, it expressed the difference between flashy appearance and actual value. It can be said to be a proverb that reflects its era, born precisely because of the developed highway culture of the Edo period.
Interesting Facts
The zelkova trees most commonly planted at one ri milestones were actually a very practical choice. Zelkova trees grow quickly and spread their branches wide, making them easy to spot from a distance, and in summer they provided cool shade for travelers.
Travelers in the Edo period would count the one ri milestones to accurately gauge distance rather than looking at Mount Fuji and wondering “how many more ri until I reach Edo?” For this reason, one ri milestones were also called “travelers’ clocks.”
Usage Examples
- That company has flashy advertising, but it’s like Suruga’s Fuji and one ri milestone – the modest long-established business seems more trustworthy
- We should choose someone with a track record over a candidate focused on appearance, as they say Suruga’s Fuji and one ri milestone
Modern Interpretation
In modern society, the teaching of this proverb may be more important than ever. With the spread of social media and the internet, we live constantly surrounded by “visual beauty” and “Instagram-worthy” content. Influencers’ glamorous posts, beautifully edited product photos, flashy advertisements – modern “Mount Fujis” are overflowing everywhere around us.
However, what truly has value are the “one ri milestone”-like existences that are modest but reliably useful. For example, the skills of traditional craftsmen who don’t engage in flashy promotion, steady efforts that don’t stand out on social media but consistently produce results, products that look ordinary but excel in functionality.
Especially in the business world, this contrast becomes more vivid. Startup companies’ glamorous presentations versus long-established companies that are modest but generate stable profits. Flashy marketing campaigns versus reliable quality that spreads through word of mouth. Modern people are being tested on their ability to discern true value amid information overload.
On the other hand, in modern times, “appearance” is also recognized as an important value in itself. We live in an era where user experience and design beauty are also evaluated as part of practicality. The teaching of this proverb can be said to show the importance of developing balanced judgment rather than completely denying appearance.
When AI Hears This
The phenomenon of Mount Fuji’s massive size distorting human perception of distance can be explained by modern psychology as “size-distance illusion.” The human brain has a habit of estimating distance based on the size of objects. In other words, we judge that things that appear large are close, while things that appear small are far away.
However, Mount Fuji’s extraordinary size of 3,776 meters in elevation creates the illusion that it’s closer than it actually is. For example, there are about 30 kilometers from Numazu in Shizuoka Prefecture to the summit of Mount Fuji, but due to its massive size, people feel like “it seems like you could walk there in just a few hours.” Meanwhile, the ichirizuka were artificial markers placed approximately every 4 kilometers, and these showed accurate distances.
This illusion mechanism also involves “angular illusion.” Massive objects like Mount Fuji have a large visual angle, causing the brain to mistakenly perceive them as “close.” Even today, the experience of looking up at a skyscraper and feeling “it was surprisingly far away” operates on the same principle.
Travelers in the Edo period were constantly forced to correct their sense of distance between Mount Fuji, a “deceptive landmark,” and the ichirizuka, “honest landmarks.” In an era without GPS, this visual illusion was a major factor that could severely disrupt travel plans.
Lessons for Today
What this proverb teaches us modern people is the importance of having “eyes that can see through to the essence.” In modern society overflowing with information, we tend to be misled by flashy advertising and beautiful appearances, but what truly has value is what reliably serves us.
In daily life, we can start by emphasizing reviews and actual functionality when choosing products, or by valuing character and trustworthiness over appearance and titles in relationships with people. In work too, steadily building up achievements rather than flashy presentations will lead to long-term success.
However, this proverb doesn’t teach us to completely disregard appearance. What’s important is understanding the balance between beauty and practicality, glamour and reliability. Just as Mount Fuji’s beauty enriches people’s hearts, visual appeal is also an important element that colors our lives.
You too should cultivate the discernment to see true value in your daily choices, without being misled by superficial charm. That will surely become a reliable guidepost for living a more fulfilling life.
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