3.5. What are the names of Japan?

Historically Japan has had many names. This page lists a few of the most important ones.

Names given to Japan

Wa (倭): In ancient Chinese geography, Japan was called 倭 (pronounced wa in Japanese). An ancient Chinese history book from the Tang (唐) dynasty calls Japan Wa. Mention of wa also occurs in China's `Sangoku-shi' (三国志) in the section commonly referred to as `Gi-shi Wajin-den', which the 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' is based on. This character means obedient, gentle, meek, etc. So it is not a bad word, though not so good. The ancient Japanese, however, hated the name because it resembled another character 矮 meaning `dwarf'.
Wa (和): The first "wa" kanji was later replaced with 和 (wa) meaning harmony.
Yamato (大和): Yamato was originally a very old Japanese government area, in fact a place in Nara. The kanji are stolen from the second version of wa above.
Yamatai (邪馬台): The Japanese never used this term. It is the modern Japanese reading of characters in a Chinese document relating to an expedition to Japan. It is highly likely that what the Chinese were trying to record was the Japanese word Yamato.
Nihon (日本): The characters here mean "sun" and "origin". This name is believed to have the following derivation.
Nihon appeared in Chinese history during the Tang (Japanese Tou, 唐) dynasty, when at the end of 7th century a delegation from Japan introduced their country as Nihon. In about 605, Prince Shotoku, the then Regent of Japan (the Empress was Suiko), sent a mission to China with a letter in which he called himself `the Emperor of the Land in which the Sun rises'. So, the notion of Nihon might have originated in this period. The reading of the message in Japanese is:
Hi iduru tokoro no Tensi, Sho wo Hi bossuru tokoro no Tenshi ni itasu. Tsutsuga nakiya?
which means
"The Emperor of the land where Sun rises sends a letter to the Emperor of the land where Sun sets. Are you healthy?"
Having read the letter, the Emperor of China became angry, and ordered such barbarian things not to be shown to him.
This letter was sent in the early period of the 7th century, either 605, 608 or 612. The message is recorded in the official history book of the Sui (in Japanese Zui, 隋) dynasty.
Nippon (日本): This an alternative reading of the characters used in the word nihon.
Hi no moto (日の本): This is the kun'yomi (native Japanese reading) of Nippon/Nihon.
Fusou (扶桑): Fusou, which also means "hibiscus", was the Chinese name for Japan. The hibiscus was also a legendary plant which lived on an island in the Pacific where the sun was supposed to originate from. This legendary fusou first appeared in a historical book in the Song (Japanese Sou, 宋) dynasty, which started in 960 A.D. After that, the name changed to mean Japan, so the origin is relatively new. A Japanese historical book (Fusou Ryakuki) was written in the Heian period, so the word was imported to Japan at the latest in the 12th century. Nihon is older than Fusou. Probably Fusou was used as a poetic name for Nihon.
Japan: See 5.3. Where does the name Japan come from?

Prefix and suffix names used for Japan

wa (和): Used in wafuu (和風), "Japanese style", washitsu (和室), "Japanese style room", wasei (和製), "made in Japan". See also 5.4. What are these pseudo English words like salaryman?
nichi (日): Used in abbreviations for politics and international relations, for example nichibei (日米) "Japan-America", rainichi (来日) "coming to Japan". See also 3.4. Why is America called bei?
Hou (邦): Used in hougaku (邦楽), Japanese traditional music, houga (邦画), "Japanese films", (as opposed to 洋画, "foreign films", etc.)
J: Used in "JR", "Japan railways", "J league", the Japanese professional football league, "J phone", etc.

Acknowledgements

This answer was edited from posts by very many people. Special thanks to NAKANO Yasuaki and Bart Mathias for several corrections and additions.

sci.lang.japan FAQ / 3. Word origins

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