expression, noun
fighting over nothing; making a mountain out of a molehill
Idiomatic expression derived from a classical Chinese story about a battle on a snail's antennae, used to describe trivial disputes or fussing over insignificant matters.
そんな小さなことで争うのは、まさに蝸牛角上の争いだ。
Arguing over such a small thing is truly a case of fighting over nothing.
会議での意見の違いは、結局は蝸牛角上の争いに過ぎなかった。
The difference of opinion in the meeting turned out to be nothing more than making a mountain out of a molehill.
From a classical Chinese story in the Zhuangzi about two kingdoms fighting on a snail's antennae, symbolizing the pettiness of human conflicts.