Quote Originally Posted by vertical_doug View Post
I actually think you are thinking like a European here. Nippon means Sun Origin, the Land of the Rising Sun is really a western romanticized notion which the Japanese will use. Before Japan was Nippon, it was either WA (和) or YAMATO for the Imperial Ruling family. Over time to cement the myth of the Emperor being a descendant of the Sun-Goddess (Amaterasu Okami), Nippon was probably used. Marco Polo recorded it as Cipangu (日本國) Mandarin reading, which from the Chinese point of view, Japan was- Country of Sun Origin since it lies east. Or maybe we argue this is all shaped by the Japanese use of the Chinese Characters- and all of this is just a random choice by some buddhist monk 2000 years ago.
I think you might be going in circles there.

What is the distinction between Sun Origin and the Land of the Rising Sun?