expression, noun
beginning to learn when old; it's never too late to learn
Proverbial expression encouraging learning at any age; literally 'learning calligraphy at sixty'. Often used to say that one is never too old to start something new.
六十の手習いで、母は最近ピアノを始めた。
True to the saying 'it's never too late to learn,' my mother recently started learning the piano.
「六十の手習い」という言葉があるように、年をとってから新しいことを始めるのも悪くない。
As the proverb goes, 'beginning to learn when one is old,' it's not bad to start something new even when you're older.
The phrase literally means 'learning calligraphy at sixty,' originating from the idea that even at an advanced age one can take up new studies. The exact historical origin is uncertain, but it has been used as a proverbial expression for centuries.