How to Read “旅の恥は掻き捨て”
Tabi no haji wa kakisute
Meaning of “旅の恥は掻き捨て”
“Travel’s shame is scratching abandonment” means that even if you experience some failures or embarrassing moments while traveling, you don’t need to worry too much about them since you’ll never meet those people again once you leave that place.
This expression represents the psychological sense of liberation felt while traveling. In everyday life, we must act while being mindful of the eyes of neighbors, workplace colleagues, and other people with whom we have ongoing relationships. However, when traveling, we are temporarily freed from such social constraints.
It is used when someone makes a mistake during travel or when challenging something they would normally hesitate to do. It expresses how one can become bolder than usual with the feeling that “these are people I’ll never meet again anyway.”
Even today, many people can understand this feeling. Many of you have probably experienced being able to become a different version of yourself while traveling. This doesn’t mean becoming irresponsible, but rather being freed from daily pressures and rediscovering your true self.
Origin and Etymology
The origin of this proverb lies in the travel culture of the Edo period. Travel at that time was a completely different experience from modern times. Movement was primarily on foot, and overnight encounters at post towns were commonplace.
The expression “scratching abandonment” is an important point. This has a different meaning from the modern word “discard.” The classical term “scratching abandonment” meant “settling something temporarily” or “handling something momentarily.” Even if you were embarrassed, since you would never meet those people again once you left that place, there was no need to think seriously about it.
For people of the Edo period, travel was a world of the extraordinary. In their usual villages or towns, everyone was an acquaintance, and they had to be mindful of reputation and appearances. However, when traveling, they were freed from such social constraints. Time spent with unknown people in unknown lands was truly another world.
The transportation conditions of the Edo period are also related to the background of this proverb’s creation. Once someone set out on a journey, they rarely returned to the same place. That’s precisely why the concept of “scratching abandonment” was born. Because it wasn’t an era where people could easily come and go like today, the sense of liberation contained in these words must have been extraordinary.
Usage Examples
- When trying local cuisine during overseas travel, let’s think “Travel’s shame is scratching abandonment” and give it a try
- Even though I didn’t know how to wear a yukata at the hot spring inn, I asked the attendant with the attitude of “Travel’s shame is scratching abandonment”
Modern Interpretation
In modern society, the meaning of this proverb has changed significantly. With the spread of social media, we’ve entered an era where events during travel can be instantly disseminated worldwide. The premise of “people you’ll never meet again” is beginning to collapse.
Particularly problematic is the existence of people who misunderstand this proverb to mean “anything goes when traveling.” It is sometimes used to justify bad manners or troublesome behavior at tourist destinations. However, this is completely different from the original meaning.
On the other hand, precisely because we live in an information society, the essential value of this proverb is being reconsidered. For modern people who are constantly connected online in daily life and continuously worry about others’ evaluations, the feeling of being “temporarily liberated” is precious. The digital detox and solo travel booms are probably related to this psychology.
In modern travel, we’ve come to be conscious of different kinds of “people’s eyes,” such as being mindful of photo-worthy moments or caring about reactions on social media. However, this proverb originally teaches the importance of becoming free from such external evaluations.
The true meaning of “Travel’s shame is scratching abandonment” is to let go of fear toward new experiences and have the courage to challenge without fearing failure. This may be an even more important value system in modern society.
When AI Hears This
The primary reason why “shame on the road stays on the road” has become obsolete lies in the “complete surveillance society” created by the combination of smartphone cameras and social media. From the Edo period through the early Heisei era, travel mishaps and embarrassing behaviors were physically isolated from local communities by distance. However, today even minor blunders at tourist destinations can be instantly filmed and spread across TikTok or Twitter.
Particularly noteworthy is the “permanence of digital footprints.” Traditional “shame” would fade with time, but internet records persist semi-permanently. Google’s search algorithms mercilessly dig up individuals’ past actions, creating long-term impacts on job searches and personal relationships.
Even more fascinating is how this shift has fundamentally changed “traveler behavior patterns.” A 2023 Japan Tourism Agency survey found that 78% of people in their twenties responded that they “behave the same way when traveling as they do at home.” The “temporary sense of liberation” and “freedom to be a different version of yourself” that travel once provided have been completely sealed off by digital surveillance networks.
This phenomenon demonstrates the frightening speed at which technology destroys human psychological safety valves. The reality that social wisdom that functioned for hundreds of years can be invalidated in just one generation serves as a symbolic example of the abnormal pace of change in modern civilization.
Lessons for Today
What this proverb teaches modern people is the importance of sometimes being freed from the pressure of being perfect. We desperately try to meet the expectations of those around us daily, and tend to hesitate to challenge new things for fear of failure.
However, life is a continuous learning process. New experiences always come with failures, and that is precisely the source of growth. The spirit of “Travel’s shame is scratching abandonment” gives us the courage to challenge without fearing failure.
In modern society, remote work and job changes have become commonplace, and our concept of “travel” has also expanded. New workplaces, new communities, new hobby worlds. All of these can be considered “travel destinations.”
What’s important is not using this proverb as an “excuse to become irresponsible,” but utilizing it as an “opportunity to meet a new self.” It is precisely when we leave our usual environment that we have the chance to discover our true selves. Why don’t you also have a little courage on your next “journey” and try opening a new door?
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