Kirei na hana ni wa toge ga aru
Beautiful flowers have thorns.
Japanese proverb
An attractive appearance can conceal a painful or dangerous side. The proverb uses flowers and thorns as a warning to look beyond first impressions.
Date context: A return to the proverb calendar after Culture Day. No special November 4 observance is implied.
Language note: 綺麗 (きれい / kirei) means beautiful or clean; 花 (はな / hana) is a flower; 棘 (とげ / toge) is a thorn. Here 綺麗 describes beauty.
Admire what catches your eye, then take a closer look.
Practice:
見た目だけで判断しないようにしよう。
Mitame dake de handan shinai yō ni shiyō.
Let’s try not to judge by appearances alone.
Sources:
Jitenon — 美しい花には棘がある, including this variant: https://kotowaza.jitenon.jp/kotowaza/2166.php
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