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WAi! WAi! JAPAN

2019-10-20 02:58:15

“日本”=“Nippon” and “Nihon” means the “Sun’s Origin” (that is why people call this country the “land of the rising sun“). 日=Sun 本=Origin. These kanji characters are read as Nihon or Nippon altogether.

“Nihon” is a more versatile expression, commonly used as an adjective. Example: “日本語 Nihongo” (japan + language) =Japanese or “日本史” Nihonshi (Japan+history)=Japanese History. In that sense “Nippon” is heard more often when cheering for the country in the olympics games, nationalistic activities, military, etc.

There are no certainty as to why Japan is called “Japan” outside the country but, speaking from my personal account, I learned in Junior-Highschool that the expression derives from Marco Polo’s travel diaries where he described the country in Portuguese = “Cipangu” (Land of the Gold); which has later been interpreted as “Zipangu” or “Jipangu” -  therefore “Japan” around the world.