Tigers die and leave their skins; people die and leave their names.

This saying is widely cited in English as a Japanese proverb and reflects a common theme in Japanese moral teaching: the enduring weight of reputation after death. It is often associated with traditional values around honor, social memory, and the idea that one’s conduct becomes one’s legacy. In Japanese, the proverb is typically given as 「虎は死して皮を留め、人は死して名を残す」 (tora wa shishite kawa o todome, hito wa shishite na o nokosu), contrasting an animal’s physical remains with a person’s lasting “name” (fame/reputation). It appears frequently in collections of Japanese proverbs and in didactic contexts emphasizing ethical behavior and public esteem.

The proverb argues that death does not erase consequence: what remains of a tiger is its hide, but what remains of a person is their “name”—their reputation, deeds, and the story others tell. It frames legacy as the human equivalent of a tangible relic, implying that character and actions are what outlast the body. The line can be read as both caution and encouragement: one should live so that one’s name is remembered with respect rather than shame. It also underscores a social dimension of morality, where personal worth is measured not only privately but by what the community remembers and transmits.

1) “Tigers leave their skins when they die; people leave their names.”
2) “A tiger dies and leaves its skin; a man dies and leaves his name.”
3) “When a tiger dies, it leaves its hide; when a person dies, they leave their name.”