Recommended as life tips! A collection of short, memorable quotes from great figures

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.

Many people who have achieved great things throughout human history have left behind quotes that symbolize their legacy.

These words often capture their guiding principles or philosophies, and many can serve as hints for living well even in the modern day.

Here, we present a selection of short yet profound quotations left by great figures.

Whether you have dreams and goals, or are troubled or uncertain about something, you’re sure to find words that fit your situation.

Please use them as a reference.

Recommended as life tips! A collection of short, memorable quotes from great figures (51–60)

There are no coincidences in life. Don’t run away by blaming others or luck—let’s keep building our strength little by little.Kazu Miura

These are words from Kazu Miura that convey the idea that the difficulties we face in life are not a matter of chance or luck, and that it’s important to always be prepared.

They express the belief that if we recognize that everyone is destined to face hardships and build up our strength for them, we can overcome any challenge.

There’s also a message that blaming luck or others won’t lead to true strength, so it’s vital to accept reality and keep moving forward.

These words also reveal a determination to stay true to oneself and press on with strength, no matter the circumstances.

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kappamaki

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Beneath mud and earth lies solid rock; above clouds and mist shines the sun. At the height of discontent, there is still fortune, nor is hope absent.Kanzo Uchimura

I would like to introduce a famous saying by Kanzo Uchimura: “Beneath the mud lies bedrock; above the clouds and mist shines the sun.

Even at the height of complaint, happiness and hope are not absent.” Kanzo Uchimura was a Christian thinker active in the Meiji era.

Disasters can bring many hardships.

At such times, Uchimura left words he hoped we would remember.

It is said to mean that even when times are painful and difficult now, a stable and bright future surely awaits beyond.

He likens difficult situations to mud, and the bedrock represents the strength within us that lies beneath these serious problems.

Furthermore, he tells us that even when we feel or voice complaints, happiness and hope still exist.

Life brings all kinds of experiences, doesn’t it? Even so, we are reminded of the importance of maintaining a positive outlook.

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Nakajima Junko

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Nature is an impartial and merciless enemy. Society is an unjust enemy with human sentiment.Soseki Natsume

Let me introduce a famous quote by Natsume Sōseki: “Nature is a fair yet ruthless enemy.

Society is an unjust yet compassionate enemy.” Natsume Sōseki was a Japanese novelist and scholar of English literature.

His major works include I Am a Cat, Botchan, Sanshirō, And Then, Kokoro, and Light and Darkness.

This line—“Nature is a fair yet ruthless enemy.

Society is an unjust yet compassionate enemy.”—appears in his work Reminiscences.

It’s a quote that encourages us not to underestimate nature and to prepare for natural disasters.

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Natural disasters strike when we least expect them.Torahiko Terada

Here is a famous and important saying by Torahiko Terada: “Natural disasters strike when they have been forgotten.” Terada was a Japanese physicist, essayist, and haiku poet.

As a researcher, he was interested in disasters such as fires and earthquakes, and it is said that after the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, he became even more deeply engaged with the subject.

This quote reminds us that the peaceful passing of everyday life without incident is not something to be taken for granted.

It is a phrase worth engraving in our hearts.

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Recommended as life tips! A collection of short, memorable quotes from great figures (61–70)

Earthquakes will strike again and again. To prevent severe damage, we will build parks and roads.Shinpei Gotō

I would like to introduce a famous quote left by Shinpei Goto: “Earthquakes will come again and again.

To prevent great damage, we must build parks and roads.” From this saying, one can sense his conviction to protect human life.

Shinpei Goto devoted himself to the reconstruction after the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, making present-day Tokyo a city resilient to disasters.

Immediately after the earthquake, he became Minister of Home Affairs and then Minister for Reconstruction to rebuild Tokyo, which had suffered immense damage.

Along with the quote, he conceived reconstruction measures, but at the time he faced criticism from those around him.

It is said that enormous funds were required to put them into action, and landowners opposed the purchase of tracts that had been reduced to burned-out fields by the quake.

Although his budget was cut, Goto poured his efforts into building a disaster-resilient city.

Thanks to those efforts, Tokyo became stronger against earthquakes than it had been in the past.

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Nakajima Junko

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If you endure, you will surely become a strong person.Senichi Hoshino

These are the words of Senichi Hoshino, who excelled as a player for the Chunichi Dragons during his career and later made his mark as a manager for the Chunichi Dragons, the Hanshin Tigers, and the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.

During the Great East Japan Earthquake, he was the manager of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, the team from the disaster-stricken region, and his words are remembered for inspiring many people.

He conveys that no matter what difficulties you face, you should give your all in the present and confront them head-on—that strength lies along the path you advance by doing so.

Because these are the words of Hoshino, who rebuilt teams whose results had faltered, they carry real persuasive power; they are words that lift your spirits and make you want to keep pushing forward.

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kappamaki

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Genius is nothing more than a mediocre person who works hard.Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein, who proposed the theory of relativity as a theoretical physicist and made great contributions to the advancement of science.

The words he left behind show that it is the accumulation of effort that brings talent into full bloom.

Precisely because these are the words of someone hailed as a scientific genius, they resonate deeply.

In studying or working, steadily taking small steps toward your goals leads to great results.

This quote teaches us that a persistent approach to anything builds confidence and ability, empowering us to enrich our lives.

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mutō

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