So, why is Japan called “Nippon” (or “Nihon”)?
It all comes down to how Japan refers to itself in its own language.
🈶 The Meaning Behind “Nippon” (日本)
- 日本 is the kanji for Japan.
- 日 (ni) = sun
- 本 (hon/ppon) = origin or root
- So, 日本 = “Origin of the Sun”, or “Land of the Rising Sun”.
This name reflects Japan’s location east of China, where the sun rises first. The name was adopted officially in the 7th century, during diplomatic correspondence with China.
🗣️ “Nippon” vs “Nihon”
Both are correct pronunciations of 日本:
- Nihon is more common in casual speech.
- Nippon is more formal or used for official stuff (like on stamps, money, sports jerseys, etc.)
Example:
- “Made in Nippon” → patriotic or official-sounding
- “Nihon-go” (日本語) = Japanese language
- “Nihon-jin” (日本人) = Japanese person
🇯🇵 But why do we say “Japan”?
That came from a game of international telephone:
- The name traveled through Chinese dialects as something like “Jihpen”.
- Then through Marco Polo, who heard it as “Zipangu”.
- Eventually, it reached Europe as “Japan”, and that name stuck in English and many other languages.
TL;DR:
- “Nippon”/”Nihon” = Japan’s native name, meaning Origin of the Sun
- “Japan” = Western version, filtered through Chinese & explorers
- Both names point to Japan’s eastern location — where the sun rises 🌅