Great explanation, Daniel. I'll try to remember that. The meaning of Hihon (Nippon) I didn't know, and it's welcome information.
Thanks, keith whaley
Daniel J. Matyola wrote:
In Japanese, "asa" means morning, and "hi" can mean either sun or fire (as in Hibachi). In this case, it means morning sun, but this phrase is usually translated into English as "rising sun," and it is the name of the red circle on the Japanese flag. It is a patriotic expression, akin to the word "Colimbia" when used to refer to the USA. It is a common element of brand names in Japan, as in Asahi Beer and Asahi Shimbun, one of Japan's leading newspapers. Written Japanese, and some Japanese words, are based on Chinese. From China, Japan appears to be the land where the sun rises or originates, thus the Japanese word for the country of Japan is Hihon or Nippon, "origin of the sun," and asahi refers to the land of the rising sun.
