How to Read “梅を伐らぬ馬鹿もあり、桜を伐る馬鹿もあり”
ume wo kiranu baka mo ari, sakura wo kiru baka mo ari
Meaning of “梅を伐らぬ馬鹿もあり、桜を伐る馬鹿もあり”
This proverb teaches us that each situation has its appropriate method of handling, and the same approach doesn’t work for everything.
Plum trees require pruning, and without properly cutting their branches, they won’t produce good flowers. On the other hand, cherry trees are sensitive to pruning, and carelessly cutting their branches can weaken or kill them. In other words, not cutting plum trees is being a “fool” who neglects proper care, while cutting cherry trees is being a “fool” who handles them without understanding their nature.
This proverb is used when discussing how to approach people or situations. For example, it’s employed to warn against being too lenient with someone who needs strict guidance, or being too harsh with someone who requires delicate consideration. It’s also used in work and human relationships to emphasize the importance of making appropriate judgments based on the person or situation, rather than applying uniform responses. Even today, this proverb remains effective in management and educational settings when expressing the importance of understanding individual characteristics and responding accordingly.
Origin and Etymology
The origin of this proverb is deeply connected to the gardening culture of the Edo period. At that time, plum and cherry trees were extremely popular as garden trees and were planted in the gardens of many samurai and merchant families.
Plum trees have long been beloved by the Japanese people and were considered auspicious trees that bloom first at the end of cold winter. They were also highly practical, with their fruit being treasured for making pickled plums and for medicinal purposes. However, plum trees have the characteristic that without proper pruning, their branches become overcrowded, leading to poor flowering and increased susceptibility to disease.
Regarding cherry trees, during the Edo period, flower-viewing culture spread even to common people, making them extremely important for ornamental purposes. However, cherry trees were delicate, contrasting with plum trees – carelessly cutting their branches would weaken the tree’s vigor or cause them to die from pathogens entering through the cuts.
This proverb is thought to have originated from such practical gardening knowledge. Through the differences in characteristics between the familiar plum and cherry trees, it expressed that each thing has its appropriate way of being handled – it’s a saying that embodies the life wisdom of common people from the Edo period. It can be said to be a proverb that developed from very practical lessons based on actual gardening experience.
Interesting Facts
For plum pruning, there’s also the gardening maxim “fools cut cherry trees, fools don’t cut plum trees,” but actually, the optimal time for pruning plum trees is immediately after flowering. This is because plum trees form next year’s flower buds in summer, so pruning too late will prevent flowers from blooming.
One reason cherry trees are sensitive to pruning is that they easily contract diseases like “witches’ broom disease” through cuts. Therefore, even in modern landscaping techniques, pruning cherry trees is generally avoided as much as possible, or specialized healing agents are used.
Usage Examples
- New employees need strict guidance, but for that child with a delicate personality, following the principle of “There are fools who do not cut plum trees, and there are fools who cut cherry trees,” we should approach them more gently.
- Rather than giving everyone the same training, let’s think of approaches tailored to each individual in the spirit of “There are fools who do not cut plum trees, and there are fools who cut cherry trees.”
Modern Interpretation
In modern society, the teaching of this proverb has become even more important. In our information age, we tend to emphasize efficiency and standardization, but in human relationships and organizational management, the importance of individualized approaches has actually increased.
This way of thinking is particularly effective in workplace management. Traditional uniform management methods cannot cope with modern workers who have diverse values and work styles. Some people demonstrate their abilities when given freedom, while others need clear instructions and management – it requires seeing each person’s characteristics and responding accordingly.
The same applies in educational settings. The focus on individualized learning rather than just uniform classroom instruction aligns perfectly with the spirit of this proverb. It’s necessary to change approaches according to children’s learning styles and comprehension levels.
Moreover, in our current era where SNS and digital communication are mainstream, troubles from sending one-sided messages without understanding the other person’s personality or situation have increased. This proverb reminds us again of the importance of choosing communication methods appropriate to the recipient.
As globalization progresses, collaboration with people from different cultural backgrounds has increased, and we now live in an era that demands appropriate ways of interacting based on understanding others’ cultures and values, rather than uniform responses.
When AI Hears This
This proverb beautifully captures two opposing philosophies rooted in Japanese aesthetics. The plum embodies the “aesthetics of artifice.” Plum trees achieve their ideal beauty through deliberate human intervention—pruning that shapes their branches and arranges their blossoms just so. This mirrors the same thinking behind bonsai and tea room design, where beauty emerges from adding human intention to nature.
Cherry blossoms, on the other hand, represent the “aesthetics of naturalness.” Their beauty is believed to reside in their untouched, natural state, and any artificial manipulation is considered crude. Here lies an aesthetic sensibility that cherishes things as they are, embracing everything from full bloom to the fleeting moment of falling petals.
What’s fascinating is that this contrast reflects not merely technical approaches, but fundamental differences in values that run through the core of Japanese culture. The aesthetics of artifice artificially orchestrates “mono no aware” and connects to the tea ceremony and flower arrangement traditions that pursue perfection. The aesthetics of naturalness aligns with Zen’s concept of “mushin” (no-mind) and haiku’s natural spontaneity—a beauty that minimizes human interference.
What this proverb reveals is that Japanese people have simultaneously embraced two contradictory aesthetic values within a single culture. Both plum and cherry blossoms are beloved according to their respective aesthetic philosophies, and both serve as essential pillars of Japanese aesthetic consciousness.
Lessons for Today
What this proverb teaches us today is that “we must not neglect the effort to understand others.” In our busy daily lives, we tend to interact with people in the same patterns, but we must not forget that each person has different individuality and circumstances.
Around you too, there are people who become energized by encouraging words, and others who want to be quietly watched over. There are people who grow through strict guidance, and others who demonstrate their talents in free environments. What’s important is to observe others carefully and find the most suitable way of relating to each person.
This is not difficult at all. By listening carefully to what others say and paying close attention to their reactions, you’ll naturally see the appropriate distance and way of interacting. Sometimes you may fail, but that too becomes valuable experience for understanding others.
While efficiency is emphasized in modern society, in human relationships, the care of facing each individual person is most important. Your thoughtful responses will surely reach the other person’s heart and lead to building better relationships.
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