expression, i-adjective
going there is easy but coming back is scary
Proverb from the Edo-period children's song "Tōryanse". Used to express that starting something is easy, but finishing or facing the consequences is frightening. Often quoted in full or alluded to in literature and conversation.
As the saying goes, 'Going there is easy, but coming back is scary' — finishing something is harder than starting it.
彼は軽い気持ちで引き受けたが、行きはよいよい帰りは怖いで、後になって後悔した。
He took it on lightly, but as the proverb says, the way back is scary, and he later regretted it.