054Japanese proverb ことわざ
可愛い子には旅をさせよ
かわいいこにはたびをさせよKawaii ko ni wa tabi o saseyo
“Send the child you cherish on a journey.”
The meaning
Protecting is not holding back. It is the trial of the road — its fatigue, encounters and resourcefulness — that shapes those we love.
At the origin
In the Edo period, travel was harsh; sending a child on the road was an act of trust, not abandonment.
The characters
- 可愛い kawaiibeloved, dear
- 子 kochild
- に nito
- は
- 旅
- を
- させよ
にParticleThe point of arrival: a place, a moment, a destination.
In practice
Give those you love the space to measure themselves against difficulty.