Heartfelt! Inspiring Quotes Left by Great Figures of Japan

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.

Various great figures who built Japan have left behind numerous famous sayings.

These quotes sometimes resonate with people living in the present and can serve as guideposts when moving things forward.

In this article, we introduce inspiring quotes left by those known as great figures of Japan.

We have gathered quotes from a variety of fields, including historical figures, people who supported major corporations, athletes, and entertainers.

Among the quotes we present, you may find a hint that clears your mind.

Be sure to check them out!

Resonating with the heart! Famous sayings left by great Japanese figures (121–130)

The most important things for humans are love and humanity.Chiune Sugihara

Chiune Sugihara, who served as a consular official and diplomat, is also called the “Schindler of the East” for saving refugees during the war.

This is a quote about love for others that conveys the mindset of this great person who strove to help those in suffering.

It expresses a gentle yet powerful belief that treating others with love is the natural duty of a human being and should take precedence over all else.

While love is placed first here, these words also prompt us to consider the importance of firmly holding to one’s own sense of righteousness and putting it into action.

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kappamaki

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I’ll take it on with just this one polka dot.Yayoi Kusama

Here is a quote from Yayoi Kusama, an artist and novelist.

As a child, she suffered hallucinations of polka dots and nets, and to escape that fear she turned what she saw into artworks.

For many people, the name Yayoi Kusama immediately brings polka dots to mind.

That is how powerfully her worldview has impacted the world.

Her works convey a kind of fierce spirit, as if she has staked her life on art.

Focusing everything on a single pursuit is no easy task.

But if we keep Kusama’s words in our hearts, then when we encounter something we absolutely want to do, it may be necessary to believe in ourselves.

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Those who lack mental ambition are fools.Soseki Natsume

Many people have likely read works by Soseki Natsume, famous for Botchan and I Am a Cat, in their school textbooks.

This saying, which contains the harsh word “fool,” conveys Natsume’s strong lesson.

What deserves to be highlighted is the importance of ambition.

In an age when people tend to drift through life as long as their needs are met, his words seem to transcend time and give us a rousing push.

It’s one of those quotes you want to say out loud every day to spur yourself on.

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Taki no namida pin ku

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Everything in the world is formed by relationships of cause and effect.Eiichi Shibusawa

Eiichi Shibusawa was a Japanese entrepreneur who appears on the 10,000-yen banknote.

Over the course of his life, he founded numerous companies, including what is now Mizuho Bank and the Tokyo Stock Exchange, earning him the title “the father of modern Japan’s economy.” Let me share one of his famous quotes.

It is followed by the words, “Therefore, it is impossible to try to change only the result while ignoring the cause.” Knowing this quote might help you stay calm when you face a problem and motivate you to look for the cause with a positive mindset.

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sasashina

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In conclusion

We introduced some moving quotes left by great figures of Japan—how did you find them? There were many sayings that made you suddenly realize something or lifted your spirits.

If you found a favorite quote, be sure to engrave it firmly in your heart’s notebook!