052Japanese proverb ことわざ
郷に入っては郷に従え
ごうにいってはごうにしたがえGō ni itte wa gō ni shitagae
“In the village, follow the village ways.”
The meaning
Respecting the customs of the place you enter is not self-denial: it is the guest's courtesy, and the shortest road to being welcomed.
At the origin
Japan's counterpart of "when in Rome, do as the Romans do".
The characters
- 郷 gōvillage
- に nito, toward
- 入って itteentering
- は
- 郷
- に
- 従え
にParticleThe point of arrival: a place, a moment, a destination.
In practice
On new ground, observe first, adopt next, propose last.
Themes
Similar proverbs
- 239 単刀直入 Entering alone, blade drawn, straight to the point.
- 025 念には念を入れよ To care, add care.
- 161 閑さや岩にしみ入る蝉の声 Such stillness — the cicadas' cry sinks into the rocks.
- 182 虎穴に入らずんば虎子を得ず You cannot take the tiger's cub without entering its den.
- 234 分け入っても分け入っても青い山 However deep I go, and deeper still — blue mountains.