Japan's Other Name: Nippon (日本) — Same Characters, Same Meaning

Two Readings, One Nation

Nippon (にっぽん) and Nihon (にほん) are the two native pronunciations of the same kanji: 日本.

Meaning

• 日 = sun / day
• 本 = origin / root / book
• 日本 = "Sun Origin" → Land of the Rising Sun

Usage Nuances

• Nippon — more formal, patriotic, traditional. Used: "Nippon" on stamps, currency (until 1940s), sports chants ("Ganbare Nippon!"), company names (Nippon Steel, Nippon TV).
• Nihon — everyday, neutral. Used in conversation, "Nihongo" (Japanese language), "Nihonjin" (Japanese person).
• Both are correct; government uses both. No official preference.

International Name "Japan"

• Derived from Cipangu (Marco Polo) → Malay Jepang → Portuguese Japão → English Japan.
• Early Mandarin: Rìběn (same characters).
• Japanese use "Japan" in English contexts; "Nippon/Nihon" domestically.

Historical Note

Pre-1945: "Dai Nippon Teikoku" (Empire of Great Japan). Postwar: "Nippon-koku / Nihon-koku" (State of Japan). Constitution preamble: "Nihon-koku kenpō."