Introduction: This article will explore why we don’t call Japan Nihon, and discuss the significance of its name change from Nihon to Japan as well as its impact on Japanese culture. For centuries, the country of Japan has been known by many names, but today it is most commonly referred to as “Japan”. However, this name is not native to the country and there is a much more ancient name that is still used today. That name is “Nihon”. So why do we call Japan “Japan” instead of “Nihon”?
The History of the Name Japan: This section will examine how the term “Japan” came to be associated with the country. The earliest written records of the country refer to it as “Wa” or “Yamato”, which were both names given by Chinese writers in reference to their neighbour in the East. It wasn’t until much later that the name “Nihon” was used. The term first appears in a Chinese document from around 708 AD and was used by Japanese people themselves shortly afterwards. It literally translates as “the sun’s origin” and was thought to be a poetic way of referring to their homeland.
What is Nihon? Nihon (日本) is an ancient term for Japan that literally translates as “the sun’s origin”. It has been used since at least 708 AD and has been widely accepted by Japanese people for centuries. It remains an important part of their culture and identity today and can still be heard in some areas of the country, especially in more rural areas where traditional values are still held dear.
How Nihon Became Japan: The term “Japan” comes from a Chinese pronunciation of “Nippon”, which itself was derived from “Nihon”. In Chinese, “ni” (日) means “sun” while “hon” (本) means “origin”. Over time, this became simplified into two characters: 日本 which can be pronounced either as Nippon or Nihon depending on who you ask. Eventually, this evolved into the English form that we know today – Japan – though some people still use either Nippon or Nihon when referring to their homeland in Japanese contexts.
Why We Don’t Call Japan Nihon: Despite its long history, most English speakers simply refer to Japan as “Japan”. This is because it is easier for non-native speakers to pronounce than either “Nippon” or “Nihon”, both of which contain sounds that are not found in English language words. Additionally, many people feel that using the English word for Japan reinforces its status as an important international player rather than just another Asian nation with an archaic name like so many others have had throughout history.
The Significance of the Name Japan: The use of both terms – Nippon/Nihon and Japan – have come to represent different aspects of Japanese culture over time. For example, when someone refers to something being done in a traditional manner they might say it was done according to “nihonshiki” or according to old-fashioned Japanese customs or traditions; whereas if someone wants something done quickly they might say it should be done according to modern Japanese methods or techniques (shinpo shikiten). While both terms are widely accepted within Japanese society today, they each hold different meanings depending on context and usage.
The Impact of the Name Change on Japanese Culture: While some may argue that changing from using nipponshiki or nihonshiki when referring things done traditionally could have had an impact on how certain aspects of culture are preserved over time; however this argument does not take into account how dynamic cultures actually are and how they constantly evolve over time regardless of what language they use for communication purposes. Moreover, there are many other factors such as globalization which have had a much greater impact on how cultures evolve than simply changing one word from one language into another language would have had any significant effect on cultural practices within any given society regardless if it was called nipponshiki or japanese style/traditions etc..
Conclusion: To conclude this article we can see that while there may be some debate about why we don’t call japan nipponshiki/nihonshiki anymore; ultimately it comes down personal preference when deciding what terminology should be used when referring things done traditionally within japanese society today; however this does not mean that one term holds more importance than another but rather just reflects different aspects associated with japanese culture depending on context & usage.
Resources:
1) https://www2aomori-uacjp/~matsuo/nihongo_eigo_history_en/indexhtml
2) https://wwwjapantimescojp/culture/2017/09/12/language-words/difference-between-japan-nihontokyo/#cxrecs_s
3) https://wwwglobalasiaorg/asian-culture-and-society-in-japan/#cxrecs_s
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