niche_japan2025

The term “瑞典”, meaning Sweden in Japanese, might seem puzzling at first glance. However, it reflects the creative flexibility of Japanese when integrating foreign names using kanji transliteration. In this article, we explore how such expressions were formed and why they still matter today.

In modern Japanese, Indonesia is typically written as インドネシア in katakana. Yet, in historical documents or official writing, one often sees the kanji form 印度尼西亜 or its abbreviation 印尼. This raises the question: why use such kanji for a modern Southeast Asian country? Through the lens of language adaptation, this article uncovers how phonetics, historical influence, and cultural identity converge in this curious naming practice.

While most Japanese people today write Brazil as ブラジル, the alternative form 伯剌西爾 still appears in literature and official writing. The character 伯 alone, in the abbreviated 伯国, has come to symbolize Brazil. But what’s the origin of this curious usage? Through this article, we delve into how Japan historically adapted foreign names into its own writing system.