LOANWORD

The representation “費府” may mislead foreigners into thinking it means “an expensive city,” but in fact it was chosen purely for sound. The addition of “府,” a character symbolizing a major city in Japanese, highlights Philadelphia’s importance.

The Hannya mask is often misunderstood as a mere demon mask, but its meaning runs far deeper. In Buddhism, Hannya embodies wisdom that frees the mind from attachment, while in Noh theater it symbolizes a woman’s transformation into a demon due to overwhelming emotions. By seeing both perspectives, foreigners gain a more complete understanding of Japan’s unique way of expressing the human heart.

In Japanese, Phoenix can be represented in two main ways: katakana for the city name and kanji for its mythological meaning. Understanding these forms reveals not only the structure of the word but also the symbolic depth embedded in Japanese culture.

In Japanese, foreign country names are typically written in Katakana. Yet Cameroon has unusual forms: “喀麦隆” and “喀麥隆” in Kanji. These are evidence of Chinese phonetic influence on Japanese, providing insights into the shared linguistic history of East Asia.

Today, Seoul’s only official name is the native Korean word “서울”. Yet in Chinese and some other languages, the characters “首爾” are still used. This article explores why this difference exists by examining history and culture.

For Japanese people, Beijing represents two different faces. On one hand, it is an ancient capital filled with cultural treasures such as the Forbidden City and the Great Wall. On the other, it is a fast-developing global metropolis that impresses with skyscrapers and advanced technology. Yet, challenges such as traffic congestion and rising costs shape their view as well.

For decades, Japanese maps and textbooks labeled the country as “Ivory Coast”, reflecting the region’s history as a center of ivory trade. But the nation sought to distance itself from colonial-era labels, and now the only correct term is “Côte d’Ivoire”. This shift shows how a country’s name embodies dignity, independence, and global recognition.

Before katakana became the norm, Japan often used kanji to represent foreign names phonetically. Houston, for example, appeared as “阿西亜尼亜” and “飛有棲屯.” These spellings show how Japan balanced Chinese influence, visual style, and sound approximation when dealing with new global words.

Foreign names were once written in Japan using phonetic kanji instead of katakana. Madagascar became 「馬達加斯加」, with each character chosen to approximate the sound. By learning this, we see how Japan balanced tradition and adaptation in representing foreign words.

The old kanji form of Saudi Arabia, “沙烏地阿拉伯,” cannot be understood by literal meaning. It is based on a transliteration borrowed from Chinese and serves as an example of how Japanese historically absorbed foreign words.