What Are People From Japan Called?

The term 'Japanese' and the country name Japan have a complex etymological journey that reflects centuries of cross-cultural exchange between East Asia and Europe. The English name 'Japan' ultimately derives from the Chinese pronunciation 'Rìběn' (日本), which literally means 'origin of the sun' or 'sun's origin', composed of the characters 'ri' (日, sun) and 'ben' (本, origin/root). This name reflects Japan's geographical position east of China, where the sun appears to rise.

The Japanese people themselves call their country 'Nihon' (にほん) or 'Nippon' (にっぽん), both readings of the same characters 日本. These names emerged during the Asuka period (6th-8th centuries CE) when Japan sought to establish its identity distinct from Chinese cultural dominance. In a famous letter sent to the Chinese emperor in 607 CE, Prince Shōtoku referred to Japan as 'the land where the sun rises', establishing this solar identity that persists today. The term 'Nippon' is often used in more formal or nationalistic contexts, while 'Nihon' is more common in everyday speech.

The word 'Japan' entered European languages through a fascinating chain of transmission. In the 13th century, Marco Polo recorded the name as 'Cipangu' (also 'Zipangu'), derived from Old Mandarin or Wu Chinese pronunciation 'Zeppen' or 'Jit-pun'. Portuguese traders in the 16th century, who were among the first Europeans to have direct contact with Japan, adopted the Malay/Indonesian form 'Japang' or 'Japão', which came from the southern Chinese coastal pronunciation. This Portuguese form then spread to other European languages: English 'Japan', French 'Japon', Spanish 'Japón', and German 'Japan'.

Before the current nomenclature, Japan was known to the Chinese as 'Wa' (倭) or 'Wakoku' (倭国), meaning 'dwarf country' or 'submissive people'—terms the Japanese eventually rejected due to their negative connotations. The Japanese had also used 'Yamato' (大和), the name of an ancient Japanese kingdom and imperial dynasty, to refer to their country, a term that still carries strong cultural and historical significance in Japanese nationalism and is used in compound words like 'Yamato-damashii' (Japanese spirit).

The demonym 'Japanese' follows standard English patterns for forming nationality adjectives ending in '-ese', similar to 'Chinese' or 'Portuguese'. In Japanese, the people are called 'Nihonjin' (日本人) or 'Nipponjin', literally 'Japan person/people'. The term encompasses both ethnic Japanese and Japanese nationals, though the distinction between 'Yamato-minzoku' (ethnic Japanese) and other groups like the Ainu, Ryukyuan, and naturalized citizens reflects Japan's complex relationship with ethnic and national identity.