Why Is Japan Called Land Of The Rising Sun?

The Japanese names of Japan, written in Japanese using the Chinese scripts, are Nippon and Nihon. These compound names mean 'base of the sun' or 'sunrise' and it is of course a source for the popular Western description of Japan as the 'Land of the Rising Sun.'

This nomenclature comes from imperial correspondence with China and refers to Japan's eastward position relative to China. From a Chinese point of view, the sun rises from Japan. Before Japan had relations with China, it was known as Yamato and Hi-no-moto, which means "source of the sun".

According to chronicles about Japan, the name Nippon appeared in history only at the end of the 7th century. The English word for Japan came to the West from early trade routes. It is believed that the Portuguese traders were the first to bring the word to Europe. It was first recorded in English in 1577 spelled Giapan.

The official Japanese title is Nipponkoku or Nihonkoku, literally "The State of Japan".

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Dude if you have never been to Japan the first morning you wake up at the crack of dawn you will know why. Seriously, It is where the Sun starts I think. It is the reason why Nippon is Nihon and the kanji are ni = sun and hon = base or foundation of . Serious though, one morning at 5:12 am is enough to know why its called land of the rising sun.

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