八紘一宇

Chinese

eight cord for hat; vast
 
one; single; a
one; single; a; (before verbs) as soon as, once; (before a noun) entire (family, etc.)
room; universe
trad. (八紘一宇)
simp. (八纮一宇)

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 八紘一宇.

Pronunciation


Phrase

八紘一宇

  1. Hakkō ichiu (WWII-era phrase used by the Empire of Japan)

Japanese

Kanji in this term
はち > はっ
Grade: 1
こう
Jinmeiyō
いち
Grade: 1

Grade: 6
on’yomi

Etymology

八紘 (hakkō, eight corners) + 一宇 (ichiu, one roof) “the eight corners of the earth [united] under a single roof”

The concept originates from a passage in the Nihon Shoki (720): 兼六合以開都、 掩八紘一而為宇, in which Emperor Jimmu declares Kashihara to be the capital of the lands. Originally limited to context of Japan as a whole, but in 1903 Tanaka Chigaku first used it in reference to world unification. Widely used around 1937 during the Sino-Japanese War, the phrase was later included in the July 26, 1940 national policy known as Kihon Kokusaku Yōkō (基本国策要綱) during the Fumimaro Konoe administration.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /hakkoː itɕiu/

Noun

(はっ)(こう)(いち)() (hakkō ichiu) 

  1. unifying and controlling the whole world as a single house
  2. during World War II, used as a nationalistic slogan to rationalize overseas expansion
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