How to Read “鵜の目鷹の目”
Uno me taka no me
Meaning of “鵜の目鷹の目”
“Cormorant’s eyes hawk’s eyes” is a proverb that describes observing things very carefully with sharp eyes, like when cormorants and hawks target their prey.
This proverb expresses the state of concentrating and observing carefully so as not to miss any details when searching for or investigating something. It is used in situations where people earnestly gaze at something, like the sharp, focused gaze of a cormorant targeting fish underwater or a hawk aiming at prey on the ground.
Usage scenarios include when looking for lost items, conducting investigations or inspections, and searching for clues. The reason for using this expression is that rather than simply saying “look carefully,” it emphasizes the seriousness and thoroughness by comparing it to the instinctive concentration and observational skills of birds targeting prey. Even today, it is understood as an expression for concentrating and observing something, and is effectively used to describe someone’s serious approach to their work.
Origin and Etymology
The origin of “Cormorant’s eyes hawk’s eyes” comes from a proverb born from the hunting characteristics of two types of birds: cormorants and hawks.
Cormorants are waterfowl that catch fish underwater and possess sharp observational skills that don’t miss fish shadows beneath the water surface. Hawks, on the other hand, are birds of prey that target small animals on the ground from high in the sky, known for their excellent eyesight in spotting prey from above. Both are birds whose ability to find prey has developed extremely well for survival.
This proverb is said to have appeared in literature from the Edo period, and it is believed that it became established as a word to express human behavior based on the habits of these birds that people of that time could observe closely. Cormorant fishing has long been cherished as a traditional Japanese fishing method, and falconry was also practiced among nobles and samurai, so the characteristics of both birds were known to many people.
What’s interesting is that by combining the different perspectives of cormorants looking underwater and hawks looking from the air, it emphasizes the meaning of observation from all angles. Through this expression, it became possible to express thorough and shrewd observation that goes beyond simply “looking carefully.”
Interesting Facts
Cormorants are actually one of the few birds that can swim with their eyes open underwater. While most birds have blurred vision underwater, cormorant eyes have a special structure that allows them to focus even underwater, which provides the scientific basis for the expression “cormorant’s eyes.”
A hawk’s eyesight is said to be about 8 times better than a human’s, so excellent that they can spot a mouse from one kilometer away. This amazing eyesight gave birth to the expression “hawk’s eyes,” and even today it is sometimes used as “Hawk Eye” in the names of surveillance camera systems and precision equipment.
Usage Examples
- He looked around the venue with cormorant’s eyes hawk’s eyes and finally found the ring he had dropped
- The accounting manager checks the books with cormorant’s eyes hawk’s eyes and doesn’t miss even small mistakes
Modern Interpretation
In modern society, “Cormorant’s eyes hawk’s eyes” is increasingly interpreted in new contexts of the information age. On social media and the internet, this expression has come to be used as the ability to find what you need from vast amounts of information.
Particularly in the business world, it is valued as a word expressing the insight to not miss subtle changes or signs in market research and data analysis. This old proverb is being used with modern meaning when marketing personnel analyze consumer behavior patterns or when investors closely watch stock price trends.
On the other hand, in modern times, this expression is sometimes used negatively due to concerns about “surveillance society.” It may be used in contexts criticizing privacy invasion or excessive surveillance, such as “being watched with cormorant’s eyes hawk’s eyes.”
However, the values of “concentration” and “observational skills” that the original proverb possesses are becoming even more important in our information-overloaded modern era. In a world flooded with fake news, having the eye to discern truth and the concentration to not lose sight of what’s important has become an indispensable ability for modern people.
When AI Hears This
Looking at the hunting styles of cormorants and hawks from a biological perspective reveals truly opposite strategies. Cormorants dive 1-3 meters below the surface, accurately catching fish even in murky water as “penetrating hunters.” Hawks, on the other hand, survey the ground from 100-200 meters above with eyesight eight times sharper than humans, making them “panoramic hunters.”
The linguistic genius of this combination lies in how Japanese people experientially understood what modern cognitive science proves as “the multi-perspective effect.” The cormorant’s “deep and narrow vision” corresponds to what we now call “vertical thinking”—the expertise of thoroughly drilling down into one field. The hawk’s “broad and elevated vision” represents “lateral thinking”—the integrative power to see the big picture and find connections.
What’s fascinating is the difference in their visual systems. Cormorants calculate changes in underwater refraction to pinpoint their prey’s exact location, while hawks specialize in dynamic vision to catch the slightest movements. This means “cormorant’s eye, hawk’s eye” isn’t simply about “seeing well”—it represents an extremely sophisticated cognitive demand to “simultaneously use two visual strategies optimized for different physical environments.”
Even in modern innovation research, the combination of deep expertise (cormorant) and cross-disciplinary perspective (hawk) is considered key to creativity. This ancient proverb contains surprisingly scientifically accurate insights.
Lessons for Today
What “Cormorant’s eyes hawk’s eyes” teaches modern people is the importance of concentrating. Precisely because we live in an era overflowing with information, it’s important to cultivate the eye to discern what we truly need.
We tend to scatter our attention daily – walking while looking at smartphones, trying to handle multiple things simultaneously. But sometimes, by concentrating our consciousness on one point like cormorants and hawks, we might see things that were invisible before.
Changes in the expressions of important people, small opportunities at work, beautiful moments in daily life. These are things we can never notice while multitasking. Try putting down your smartphone for even a little while each day and concentrate on what’s in front of you.
This proverb also teaches the importance of “having goals.” Just as cormorants and hawks target their prey, when we have clear purpose and intention, our concentration naturally increases. What is it that you truly want to find or achieve right now? Why not start by clarifying that?
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