The Significance of ‘WA’ / ‘和’
The Significance of the ‘WA’ or ‘和’ in Japanese Language & Culture
If you ever live in Japan, sooner or later you are going to encounter the kanji character 和. Pronounced “WA” it is frequently used as a prefix in kanji compounds to mean “Japanese” or “Japanese style”.
The use of 和 to confer a very pure and traditional sense of “Japaneseness” is ubiquitous in the Japanese language. However, “Japanese” is actually not the primary meaning of this character. Its original meaning is “harmony,” and “Japanese” is a secondary meaning that the Japanese chose for themselves.
“WA” is the oldest recorded name for Japan, and occurs in several ancient Chinese texts. However, the Chinese used a different kanji for this name: 倭. Unfortunately, this character also has the rather unflattering meaning of “dwarf”, and not surprisingly the Japanese didn’t like it. Sometime in the 8th century they decided to switch 倭 for 和 which had the same pronunciation, but the much more pleasing meaning of “harmony”. The Japanese also borrowed the same kanji to write the name of the Yamato kingdom from which the nation of Japan is descended. Written 大和 which literally means “Great Wa” these two kanji together are pronounced “Yamato”. 大和魂 (yamato-damashii) is another term that was coined around the same time to express the concept of “the Japanese spirit”; the integral values of the Japanese people and their culture.
Another explanation of this character’s origin is that禾 together with 口 is suggestive of grain in the mouth, and thereby something delicious. A good meal is one in which different ingredients are brought together and mixed so that their various flavours are harmonised into a satisfying whole. Although, it has been suggested that 和 in Japanese culture can be suppressive of individuality, in this kanji’s origins we can see an understanding that group harmony is actually dependent on different, distinct elements that complement and enhance each other. There’s a whole lot of meaning wrapped up in 和.