expression
seeing is believing; a picture is worth a thousand words
Proverb emphasizing that firsthand experience is more reliable than hearsay. Often used when encouraging someone to see something for themselves.
百聞は一見に如かずというから、実際に現地に行ってみよう。
They say seeing is believing, so let's actually go to the site.
写真で見るより、実物を見たほうがいい。百聞は一見に如かずだ。
It's better to see the real thing than a photo. A picture is worth a thousand words.
From classical Chinese proverb 百聞不如一見 (bǎi wén bùrú yī jiàn), literally 'hearing a hundred times is not as good as seeing once'. The Japanese reading uses the classical negative ず (zu) form of 如く (shiku).