[School Festival] Four-character idioms to use as slogans. Clever variations you’ll want to copy.

Last updated:2026/1/13

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
Keyboard playerSAKI
I’ve been playing the Electone since I was six, mainly performing Disney music, anime songs, and music from dramas and films. I post performance videos on YouTube and social media, and I also give concerts. Building on my Electone experience, I took up synthesizer and piano during my student years and performed at school-sponsored events. As a writer, I’ve covered not only music-related topics but a wide range of genres, so I hope to draw on my experience to deliver articles that make readers think, “I want to try that!” or “I want to listen to that!”

We’re introducing festival slogans that use four-character idioms! If you’re looking for cool four-character idioms, feel free to use these as a reference.

We’re also featuring arranged versions—like idioms with some characters swapped or entirely new creations—so it’s a must-see if you think “ordinary idioms are boring”! Compare the meanings of the idioms with the theme and direction of your school festival to find the perfect match.

If it’s hard to decide, taking a survey of everyone is also recommended!

Four-character idioms (1–10)

A hundred flowers bloom

Precisely because you’ve prepared so thoroughly, you can welcome the actual school festival feeling more at ease and genuinely enjoy it.

The phrase “百花斉放” (baihua qifang) seems to powerfully convey a sense of liberation that arises from steady preparation.

This four-character idiom depicts many flowers blooming all at once, conveying not only a beautifully coloring landscape but also a positive emotional tone.

It’s a phrase that seems to capture both the joy of seeing careful preparation pay off and the liberating feeling of finally being able to showcase the results.

Raise the rankinglower

kappamaki

Report a problem

Blue sky beyond the clouds

How about “Ungai Soten” (Clear Skies Beyond the Clouds) as a motto not only for the school festival but for school life in general? It means that even harsh trials, if you work hard to overcome them, will lead to blue skies.

We all cooperate both in the period leading up to the festival and on the day itself.

There may be sudden mishaps or problems, and we’ll unite to overcome them.

In school life, too, there may be moments when we must overcome trials.

It might be tough, but there are surely views you can only see after you’ve made it through.

“Ungai Soten” is a fitting phrase for times like these.

Raise the rankinglower

Nakajima Junko

Report a problem

cherry, plum, peach, and apricot (each flower/thing has its own unique beauty)

Oubaitōri is pronounced “ō-bai-tō-ri.” Literally referring to cherry, plum, peach, and Japanese plum trees each blooming in their own way, it has come to mean that everyone should express their unique individuality.

Put simply, Oubaitōri conveys that “it’s important to make the most of your individuality.” Using this four-character idiom as a slogan also gives it a polished look.

Plus, because it sounds pleasant, saying the slogan out loud can help you feel more motivated!

Raise the rankinglower

Yuuki

Report a problem

Harmony and united cooperation

Even things that are difficult to do alone can become a wonderful school festival when everyone works together.

The four-character idiom wachū-kyōdō expresses this scene.

“Wachū-kyōdō” means uniting hearts as one to tackle tasks and endeavors.

It’s a fitting phrase not only for a festival slogan but also for a school motto.

While engaging with many people around us, we carry out a large event like the school festival.

A festival made successful by uniting everyone’s hearts will surely remain a cherished memory.

Raise the rankinglower

Nakajima Junko

Report a problem

Eternal recurrence

“Eternal recurrence,” a concept known from the thinker Friedrich Nietzsche, is the idea that the life you are living—each and every day—repeats itself endlessly.

Preparing for the school festival can feel like the same tasks over and over, and at times you might get bored or feel tempted to slack off.

But even if each day seems repetitive, when you look back you’ll realize that it was precisely those preparations that made the festival the best it could be—and even they will become cherished memories.

And when the festival day finally arrives, you may find yourself wishing that such a wonderful day would repeat like an eternal recurrence.

Try expressing, with this phrase, the beauty of memories gained through repetition.

Raise the rankinglower

SAKI