Japanese meaning of 百花斉放
Reading:
ひゃっかせいほう (hyakka seihou)
English Translation:
Letting many talents or ideas bloom together
Meaning & Cultural Context
Meaning:
“Let a hundred flowers bloom”: diverse talents, ideas, and styles flourishing in parallel rather than a single orthodoxy.
Cultural Context:
Used positively in culture/education/innovation; note the PRC’s 1956 “Hundred Flowers” slogan—Japanese usage is mostly neutral/positive but the political echo exists.
多様な才能・思想・様式が並行して花開くこと。単一正統ではなく多元的な繁茂。
文化・教育・イノベーションで肯定的に用いられる一方、中国の「百花斉放」政策の記憶もあるため、政治的含意に配慮する場面も。
Grammar & Learning Points
Grammar Point
• Noun phrase with “の時代” or “の作品” to describe a flourishing of many talents or works (“百花斉放の芸術界”).
• Common in cultural, academic, or artistic contexts.
Trap for English Speakers
Might be taken as only flowers, but it metaphorically means diverse excellence flourishing.
Example
Basic Example
百花斉放のように多様な才能が花開く。
Diverse talents blossomed like a hundred flowers in full bloom.
Applied Example
百花斉放のごとく、文化祭のステージには多彩な才能が咲き誇った。
Like a hundred flowers blooming together, the cultural festival stage was full of diverse talents.