A legend becomes a descriptionSourced
Japan · Japanese meaning
A two-thousand-year snake suggests worldly cunning
Umisen-yamasen describes a worldly, difficult-to-outwit person. Its traditional explanation involves a snake becoming a dragon after a thousand years at sea and another thousand in the mountains. This is legend, not a lifespan claim.
Mythical experience becomes a description of human shrewdness.
Summary / translation: Unbubly · CC BY-SA 4.0
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海千山千 · Wikimedia contributors
Adapted, summarized and translated from the source. Adapted text is also available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Reviewed: 2026-10-09