Kotowaza of the day: Where's that 20/20 foresight?

Japanese:

後の祭り

Romanized:

Ato no matsuri

Meaning of Japanese:

Revelers after the festival has ended

English equivalents:

A day after the fair
After death the doctor
Lock the barn door after the horse got out
Cry over spilt milk

While the literal meaning of the Japanese is usually taken to refer to festival-goers or parade floats arriving after the event has passed, another interpretation is based on the religious sense of the verb matsuru (祭る) - to worship or deify. In this version, holding a ceremony to deify a deceased mortal is viewed as frivolous and vain.