[Japanese Idioms by Flashcards]
ひと旗あげる
“to hoist one’s own flag”
(to succeed in business, particularly one’s own enterprise)
In feudal times, conquering warriors would raise the flag of their lord on the battle site. Raising the flag in Japan today still symbolizes victory, particularly in reference to independent entrepreneurs who succeed in business after starting from scratch.
Sample text:
(Style: spoken/casual/A=female, B=male)
A: Kawakami-san no musukosan, kondo jigyoo o hajimeru n desu tte.
B: Hoo, sorya taihen daroo na. Kono keiki ja, hitohata ageru no mo muzukashiku naru ippoo daroo kara naa.
A:
B: ほう、そりゃ大変だろうな。この景気じゃ、ひと旗あげるのもむずかしくなる一方だろうからなあ。
A: Did you know that Mr. Kawakami’s son is lauching a new business?
B: Is that right? Its’s going to be an uphill climb. To succeed in your own enterprise in today’s business climate is getting harder and harder.
Japanese Idioms
