Yep, Nihon means Japan. But have you ever thought, what does it mean for Japan to be called Nihon? What does the word Nihon really mean?

I've been into anime for a while, and I've seen the word Nihon plenty of times. But I never thought more than just to the fact that it is the word for Japan. <br><br>The word 'Nihon' was first pronounced 'nipon', not nihon. Niho is for 'sun', and n is an attributive particle. Therefore, the word 'nipon' literally translates as sun root or sun origin. <br><br>The story goes back to China, to the Tang Dynasty. The ruler of Japan asked the ruler of China for a title, and he was given the title 'Nihonkoku' or sun origin state/country. <br><br>Later, the Meiji era was born, and Japan tried to get rid of any remaining Chinese traditions. Nippon was then changed to 'Nihon' with the pronunciation staying the same. Japan was hereafter referred to as Nihon. <br><br>The fact that Japan was referred to as the sun origin state is quite fascinating, as that is exactly what Japan is to the rest of the world. <br><br>The world wakes up as Japan sleeps. And Japan wakes up as the world sleeps. It is, in a sense, the origin of the sun.