There’s a Japanese proverb I’m particularly fond of that states how foolish it is to try and predict the future. It goes: “Rainen no koto ieba, oni ga warau”, meaning if you talk about next year the ogre or devil (ogres or devils) will laugh.
Depending on where you live in Japan, there are different versions of this saying. One even brings that future closer. “Asu no koto ieba oni ga warau”— if you talk about tomorrow the ogre/devil will laugh. Then there is the one that states it isn’t a laughing devil you’ll get but a snickering mouse.
However you say it, I think the Japanese saying about having demons laughing at your folly when trying to guess the future is a little bit more ominous version of “Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched”.
Photo: Thersa Matsuura