Terminology
Although the empire is frequently referred to as "the Japanese Empire" or "Imperial Japan" in English, the literal translation from kanji is Great Imperial State of Japan (Dai Nippon Teikoku):
- Dai = "Great"
- Nippon = "Japan"
- Tei = "Imperial"
- -koku = "State" or "Nation"
This meaning is significant in terms of geography, encompassing Japan and its surrounding areas. The nomenclature Empire of Japan had existed since the anti-Tokugawa domains, Satsuma and Chōshū, which founded their new government during the Meiji Restoration, with the intention of forming a modern state to resist western domination.
Due to its name in Kanji characters and its flag, it was also called the Empire of the Sun.
Read more about this topic: Empire Of Japan