日 is used to mean Day, but literally it means "Sun"
本is used to mean "Book", but literally means "origin", "basis", or "root"
日本 literally means "the origin of the sun". That's why people refer to Japan as "the land of the rising sun" and their flag is a red sun. It's more obvious with their old flag where the sun had rays of sunlight.
So æ¥æ¬ literally means "the origin of the sun", "where the sun comes from" or something like those.
The background is as follows.
It is well known that the European people, before they discovered the American continent, thought their land is at the Western end of the earth.
In the same way, ancient Japanese people had did not know the existence of American continent, but they did Korea or China in the west side of Japan.
Therefore the ancient Japanese people though they live in the eastern end of the earth, and that they were the first people everyday to see the sun rise on earth.
This is why the ancient Japanese people opted æ¥æ¬ "the origin of the sun" as the name of the country.
I hope you find this info helpful and interesting.
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
日 is used to mean Day, but literally it means "Sun"
本is used to mean "Book", but literally means "origin", "basis", or "root"
日本 literally means "the origin of the sun". That's why people refer to Japan as "the land of the rising sun" and their flag is a red sun. It's more obvious with their old flag where the sun had rays of sunlight.
Some people already answered the question.
Yes, æ¥ means sun, and the æ¬ means origin.
So æ¥æ¬ literally means "the origin of the sun", "where the sun comes from" or something like those.
The background is as follows.
It is well known that the European people, before they discovered the American continent, thought their land is at the Western end of the earth.
In the same way, ancient Japanese people had did not know the existence of American continent, but they did Korea or China in the west side of Japan.
Therefore the ancient Japanese people though they live in the eastern end of the earth, and that they were the first people everyday to see the sun rise on earth.
This is why the ancient Japanese people opted æ¥æ¬ "the origin of the sun" as the name of the country.
I hope you find this info helpful and interesting.
It can also mean "the origin of the sun."
æ¬ has other readings and meanings.
It can be read "ãã¨," meaning "origin" as well.
æ¥ "NI" MEANS "SUN"
æ¬ "PON"" MEANS "RISE"
"THE COUNTRY OF THE SUN RISE = JAPAN.!
WHEN YOU ARE STUDYING JAPANESE THAT IS THE 1ST THING THAT THE TEACHER TEACHES.
Literal translation: æ¥ is sun and æ¬ is book.