wisdom of age; sagacity from experience
A set phrase emphasizing that long life brings insight and good judgment. Often used in the proverb 亀の甲より年の功.
With the wisdom of age, he calmly solved even difficult problems.
「亀の甲より年の功」ということわざがある。
There is a proverb: 'The wisdom of age is better than the shell of a tortoise.'
A compound of 年 (year, age) and 功 (achievement, merit), literally 'the merit of years.' The exact origin is uncertain, but it reflects the traditional value placed on experience.