How do you say ‘Japan’ in Japanese? If you thought this would be a simple, straightforward answer, think again!
Of course I could just make this a short post and tell you that the answer is: Nihon or Nippon, but the truth is that there is a bit more to the story.
I would be doing you a disservice by not explaining its origin and history, the variations in pronunciation as well as meaning!
If you are a linguistics nerd like me, you will find the etymology of both the country’s native name and foreign name super interesting!
Origins of 日本
‘Japan’ is written in kanji characters as 日本. As previously stated, it has two pronunciations in Japanese: Nihon (にほん) and Nippon (にっぽん).
You may have heard Japan being referred to as ‘the land of the rising sun’ in English. We can see where this translation comes from when we deconstruct the kanji compound for Japan: it’s made from the character for ‘sun’ 日 and the character for ‘origin’ 本.
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It has been said that from China’s perspective, as Japan lays to the east where the sun rises, they began referring to it as 日本 or ‘the origin of the sun’ (though of course the Chinese pronunciation would differ).
What’s the difference between Nihon and Nippon?
At first, it may be confusing seeing that Japan has two different terms to refer to its country. However, different situations call for different pronunciations.
Therefore, knowing the difference in nuance between the two, and discerning which version best suits the given situation, will definitely make your Japanese skills stand out from the crowd.
It shows that you don’t possess only linguistic knowledge, but also a cultural and even historical awareness of Japan!
When to use Nihon
Nihon is the more common pronunciation of 日本 and is what you are most likely to hear in daily conversations.
It is the more casual of the two, but is really versatile and can be used in a variety of different situations.
It is the version used in kanji compounds such as nihongo (日本語 / にほんご) ‘Japanese language’ and nihonjin (日本人 / にほんじん) ‘Japanese person’.
Example:
Daigaku no toki, nihon ni ryuugaku shimashita
大学の時、日本にりゅうがくしました
だいがくのとき、にほんにりゅうがくしました
During college, I went to Japan to study abroad
Example:
Watashi wa nihon shoku ga suki desu
私は日本食が好きです
わたしはにほんしょくがすきです
I like Japanese food
Nippon
Nippon is the more formal, often ceremonial sounding of the two pronunciations.
It is usually used in important events such as government addresses, referring to Japan’s traditional side, and even during sporting games. It portrays a sense of patriotism.
Example:
Nippon Housou Kyoukai (NHK)
日本放送協会
にっぽんほうそうきょうかい
Japan Broadcasting Corporation
Example:
Ganbare, Nippon!
頑張れ、日本
がんばれ、にっぽん
Let’s go, Japan!
Before Japan became 日本
Wa is said to be an even more ancient term used by China to refer to Japan and its people.
It was initially represented by the kanji 倭, but eventually Japan began using the kanji of the same pronunciation, 和, which carries a meaning of ‘peace’ or ‘harmony’.
Although nihon was the name that ultimately became the standard national name, we still see glimpses of wa being used to describe Japanese things in everyday language.
For example: washitsu (和室 / わしつ) is a ‘Japanese-style room’ (usually tatami flooring), washoku (和食 / わしょく) refers to ‘Japanese cuisine’ and wagashi (和菓子 / わがし) are those delectable, traditional ‘Japanese sweets’!
Why is it ‘Japan’ in English?
Japan’s Japanese names, nihon and nippon are what we call endonyms. It is the native name of the country which is used by its own speakers.
Its English name, ‘Japan’, is called an exonym, and is a foreign name for the country used by outsiders.
So why is it not just known as nihon globally? And why is the name for Japan pronounced so differently in English?
Basically, it dates back to early trade routes.
Although many countries’ languages employ Chinese characters, they generally vary in pronunciation from place to place. An old Malay form of 日本 was Jepang (today it is spelled as Jepun).
There are many avenues in which the name travelled to the west, it is said that one of these is when the Portuguese first learned the name Jepang in reference to Japan while trading in Malacca, Malaysia. They brought it to the west where it came to be known as ‘Giapan’, which over time became ‘Japan’. It’s like a worldwide game of Chinese whispers!
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Hannah is a half Irish/half Japanese girl living in Ireland. Her love for Japan and the Japanese language led her to studying languages and translation in university where she specialised in Japanese. She spent a year studying abroad at Rikkyo University in Tokyo. In her free time, Hannah enjoys using her sewing machine to upcycle clothes and create new pieces!