Wazawai tenjite fuku to nasu
Turn misfortune into good fortune
I remember a poster on the classroom wall when I was in elementary school. It said, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” It had a bright cartoon on it showing lemons falling from the sky into a strange device with a funnel facing skyward on one end and a spigot on the other from which lemonade was pouring into a glass held by a smiling operator. I didn't understand the poster at the time, but have since come to appreciate its meaning. Most people don't like lemons because they are sour. However, if you add sugar and water you get lemonade which most people do like. Therefore, if you know what to do with what seems like a bad situation, you can turn it into something beneficial.
The Japanese saying, Wazawai tenjite fuku to nasu means the same thing. It means, “Turn misfortune into good fortune.” In other words, don't just see the obvious bad aspects (the lemons) of the situation. Look beyond that to see the possibilities (like lemonade).
In this bad economy, many people are losing their jobs. However, while some people are wallowing in their misery, other people are taking the opportunity to go back to school and get trained for a better career. While some banks are just losing money, others are seeing new needs and offering new services to meet those needs.
Use this expression to encourage someone who has experienced some misfortune and is just complaining about it or is about to give up. And if this happens to be you remember, Wazawai tenjite fuku to nasu!
Usage note: Most Japanese sayings can be turned into complete sentences just by adding “desu” to the end. To add emphasis, add “desu yo”. To ask for agreements (think, “yeah,” “right,” “you know”), add “desu ne”.
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