[Japanese Idioms by Flashcards]
花より団子
“Sweets are preferred to flowers.”
(The practical is preferred over the aesthetic.)
Every spring on the day of “flower viewing,” Japanese traditionally travel to the countryside or visit parks to appreciate the beauty of nature. Yet human nature being what it is, people seem to show considerably more interest in the food than in the flowers.
Sample text:
(Style: spoken/casual/A=female, B=male)
A: Iya da wa. Aki-chan tara sekkaku ohanami ni kita noni,tabete bakari ite.
B: Akio, omae wa yappari hana yori dango no taipu da na.
A：いやだわ、あきちゃんたらせっかくお
B：
A: Oh boy, Aki-chan is only interested in food, while we came to appreciate the cherry blossom trees in full bloom.
B: Akio, you’re the type who prefers the practical over the aesthetic, aren’t you?
Japanese Idioms
