Today we will increase our vocabulary by knowing the names of countries in Japanese. The names of most countries are written in katakana, but they can also be written with kanji characters. In this article you can check the complete list of the world map.
The word for country in Japanese is called "kuni" [国], an ideogram that can also refer to regions, states, governments, and other places. For example, a country's language is called "kokugo" [国語]. Now that you know this, shall we look at some countries in Japanese?
Table of Contents
Tairiku - Continents in Japanese
The continents in the Japanese language are called tairiku [大陸] and you can see the list of them below:
| Continent | Kanji | Rōmaji |
|---|---|---|
| Africa | African continent | afurika tairiku |
| Antarctica | Antarctic Continent | nankyoku tairiku |
| Asia | アジア大陸 / 亜細亜大陸 | ajia tairiku |
| Oceania | Oceania continent | oseania tairiku |
| Europe | ヨーロッパ大陸 / 欧州 | yooroppa tairiku / ōshū |
| North America | 北アメリカ大陸 / 北米 | kita amerika tairiku / hokubei |
| South America | 南アメリカ大陸 / 南米 | minami amerika tairiku / nambei |
国名一覧（アフリカの国）
Africa in Japanese is afurika [アフリカ] and [阿弗利加] but can also be referred to as godaishuu [五代集]. Below is a list of African countries in Japanese:
| Country | Kanji | Kana | Rōmaji |
|---|---|---|---|
| Egypt | Egypt | Egypt | Egypt |
| Algeria | アルジェリア / アルジェリア民主人民共和国 | アルジェリア / アルジェリアみんしゅじんみんきょうわこく | Arujería / Arujeria People's Democratic Republic |
| Chade | チャド / チャド共和国 | チャド / チャド共和国 | Chado / Chado Republic |
| Libya | リビア / 社会主義人民リビアアラブ国 | リビア / しゃかいしゅぎじんみんリビアアラブこく | Ribia / Shakaishugi jinmin Ribia-arabukoku |
| South Africa | 南アフリカ / 南アフリカ共和国 | みなみアフリカ / みなみアフリカきょうわこく | Minami Afurika / Minami Afurika Kyouwakoku |
Asian Countries in Japanese
Below we will see a list of countries in 日本語 located in Asia and the East. The names of these continents are in Katakana in each subtitle.
Far East [東アジア]
Note that some countries in Asia usually have their writing in Kanji, as they are closer to Japan and have unusual meanings. At the end of this article we will talk about the meaning of some of these countries.
| Country | Japanese | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| China | China | China |
| Hong Kong | Hong Kong | Hong Kong |
| Japan | Japan | Nihon / Nippon |
| Macau | Macau | Macau |
| Mongolia | Mongolia | Mongori |
| North Korea | North Korea | Kitachousen |
| South Korea | South Korea | Kankou |
| Taiwan | Taiwan | Taiwan |
- Japan classifies Mongolia as a country of the Far East (Mongolia is considered a country of Central Asia)
- Mongolia is also known as mouku [蒙古]
- China is also called [チャイナ] or [シナ]
- Japan is also called ジャパン
- The two Koreas are also known as chousen [朝鮮] or koria;
- The Korean peninsula is also called chousenhantou [朝鮮半島];
Southeast Asia - Tounanajia [東南アジア]
| Portuguese | Japanese | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| Brunei | Brunei | brunei |
| Cambodia | Cambodia | kanbojia |
| Timor-Leste | East Timor | higashi tiimooru |
| Indonesia | Indonesia | indonesia |
| Laos | Laos | raosu |
| Malaysia | Malaysia | maraashia |
| Myanmar | Myanmar | Myanmar |
| Philippines | Philippines | fiiripin |
| Singapore | Singapore | shingapore |
| Thailand | Tai | tai |
| Vietnam | Vietnam | betonama |
Indian Subcontinent - Minamiajia [南アジア]
| Portuguese | Japanese | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh | Bangladesh | bannguradeshu |
| Bhutan | Bhutan | buutan |
| India | India | indo |
| Maldives | Maldives | marudiibu |
| Nepal | Nepal | nepaaru |
| Pakistan | Pakistan | pakisutan |
| Sri Lanka | Sri Lanka | suriranka |
Central Asia - Chuuouajia [中央アジア]
| Portuguese | Not official | Official name |
|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | Afghanistan | Afghanistan |
| Kazakhstan | Kazakhstan | kazafusutan |
| Kyrgyzstan | Kyrgyzstan | kirigisutan |
| Tajikistan | Tajikistan | Tajikistan |
| Turkmenistan | Turkmenistan | torukumenisutan |
| Uzbekistan | Uzbekistan | uzubekisutan |
European countries in Japanese
Europe in Japanese is eeroppa [ヨーロッパ] and [欧羅巴] or it can also be oushuu [欧州] and oubei [欧米]. Below we will see a list of countries in Japanese located on the European continent:
| Country | Kanji | Kana | Rōmaji |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iceland | Iceland | Iceland | loving |
| Ireland | Ireland | Ireland | airurando |
| Albania | Albania | Albania | arubania |
| Andorra | Andorra | Andorra | andora |
| UK - England - Scotland - Wales - Northern Ireland |
英吉利 / 英国 - English-Language - Scotland - Wales - Northern Ireland |
イギリス / えいこく - England - Scotland - Wales - Northern Ireland |
England / United Kingdom - "ingurando" is not a recognizable Portuguese word. It seems to be a misspelling or a form of a word from another language. Could you please provide more context or clarify the word? - sukottorando - weruzu - kita airurando |
| Italy | Italy | Italy | Italy |
| Ukraine | Ukraine | Ukraine | Ukraine |
| Estonia | Estonia | Estonia | Estonia |
| Austria | Austria | Austria | oosutoria |
| Netherlands | Netherlands | Netherlands | Holland |
| Greece | Greece | ギリシア / ギリシャ | Greece / Girisha |
| Croatia | Croatia | Croatia | Kuroachia |
| Switzerland | Switzerland | Switzerland | suisu |
| Sweden | Sweden | Sweden | sweden |
| Slovakia | Slovakia | Slovakia | surobakia |
| Slovenia | Slovenia | Slovenia | surobenia |
| Spain | Spain | Spain | Spain |
| Czech Republic | Czech Republic | Czech Republic | cheko |
| Denmark | It seems that the input "丁抹" is in Japanese kanji. However, without additional context, it's challenging to provide a meaningful translation. If you have more details or a different string in Portuguese to translate, please share! | Denmark | denmaku |
| Turkey | Turkey | Turkey | Turkey |
| Norway | Norway | Norway | norway |
| Hungary | Hungary | Hungary | Hangari |
| Finland | Finland | Finland | finrando |
| Belarus | Belarus | Belarus | berarushi |
| Bulgaria | Bulgaria | Bulgaria | Bulgaria |
| Belgium | White Ear Dog | Belgium | berugi |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Bosnia and Herzegovina | bosunia herutsegobin |
| Poland | Poland | Poland | porando |
| Portugal | Portugal | Portugal | Portuguese |
| Malta | Malta | Malta | maruta |
| Moldova | Moldova | Moldova | morudoba |
| Serbia and Montenegro | Serbia and Montenegro | Serbia and Montenegro | Serubia Monteneguro |
| Latvia | Latvia | Latvia | ratobia |
| Lithuania | Lithuania | Lithuania | ritoania |
| Luxembourg | Luxembourg | Luxembourg | rukusenburuku |
| Romania | Romania | Romania | Romania |
| Russia | Russia | Russia | roshia |
North American Countries in Japanese
North America in Japanese is kitaamerica [北アメリカ] or hokubei [北米]. Below is a list of countries in Japanese from North America:
| Country | Kanji | Kana | Rōmaji |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | Canada | Canada | Canada |
| United States | 亜米利加 - 米国 | アメリカ - べいこく | America - United States |
| Mexico | Mexico | Mexico | Mexico |
| Panama | Banima | Panama | Panama |
| Cuba | Kuma | Cuba | kyuba |
| Jamaica | Jamaica | Jamaica | Jamaica |
| Dominican Republic | Dominican Republic | Dominican Republic | dominika koku |
| Haiti | Haiti | Haiti | haichi |
南アメリカの国々
South America in Japanese is minami amerika [南アメリカ] or nanbei [南米]. Below we have a list of South American countries in Japanese:
| Country | Kanji | Kana | Rōmaji |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | Brazil・Republic | Brazil | Brazil |
| Argentina | Argentina | Argentina | aruzenchin |
Oceania countries in Japanese
Oceania in Japanese is pronounced oseania [オセアニア] taiyoushyu [大洋州]. Below we have a list of countries in Oceania in Japanese:
| Country | Kanji | Kana | Rōmaji |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Australia | Australia | Australia |
| New Zealand | New Zealand | New Zealand | nyuu jiirando |
Abbreviation and Kanji of Countries in Japanese
The list below has the ideogram of each country and also a kanji that serves as the abbreviation of the country in Japanese. ing that despite the ideograms, most countries still pronounce using the katakana reading, even written in kanji.
This happens because of the Ateji [当て字]; before Katakana existed, countries already had such pronunciations, but ideograms that had these pronunciations were used for that, even though most of the time the ideograms had no relation to the characteristics of the country.
| Country | Romaji | Kanji | Abv |
| Argentina | Arugenchina | Argentina | The string "亜" does not have a direct translation in English as it represents a kanji character used in the Japanese language. It often means "Asia" or is used in compounds to denote "sub-" or "secondary." Therefore, it remains "亜" in the translation. |
| Australia | Australia | Galicia | The term "豪" translates to "magnificent" or "luxurious" in English, depending on the context. If you're looking for a specific usage or context, please provide more details. |
| Austria | The translation of "O-sutoria" is "The Story." | Austria | Austrian |
| Belgium | Berugi- | White Ear Dog | 白 |
| Bolivia | Boribia | Polynesia | Wave |
| Brazil | Brazil | Brazil | The string "伯" does not have a direct translation to English as it's a Chinese character (haku) often used in names or titles. It could mean "lord," "uncle," or a similar respectful title depending on the context. If you provide context, I can offer a more precise translation. |
| Bulgaria | Bulgaria | Bulgaria | Fabric |
| Canada | Canada | Canada | 加 |
| Chile | Chiri | Chile | Wisdom |
| China | People's Republic of China (China) | People's Republic of China | 中 |
| Democratic Republic of Congo | Kongo Minshu Kyou Wakoku | fruit | Official |
| Denmark | Denma-ku | Denmark | Dan |
| Egypt | Egypt | Egypt much | Dust |
| England | England | English West | English |
| Finland | Finrando | Finnish soil | 芬 |
| Buddha | |||
| Alone | |||
| Greece | Girisha | Greece | The string "希" translates to "hope" in English. |
| Hungary | Hangari- | Hungary | Hungary |
| Iceland | Aisurando | Ice Island | Ice |
| India | Indo | India | seal |
| Indonesia | Indonesia | Indonesia | The provided string "尼" translates to "nun" in English. |
| Ireland | Airurando | Ireland | 愛 |
| Italy | Italy | Italy | I |
| Japan | Japan | Japan | 日 |
| Kazakhstan | Kazafusutan | Kasa-fusutan | Fragrance |
| Laos | Raosu | Old sticks | 老 |
| Latvia | Ratobia | Ryozumi no | 良 |
| Malaysia | Maree-shiya | Malaysia | 馬 |
| Mexico | Mexico | Mexico | Ink |
| Mongolia | Mongoru | Mongolia | The term "蒙" can be translated into English as "Meng," which is a Chinese surname and also means "to cover" or "to be ignorant." However, without additional context, a direct translation would simply render it as "Meng." If you have more specific context in mind, please provide it for a more nuanced translation. |
| Myanmar | Myanmaa | Myanmar | Myanmar |
| Netherlands | Holland | Netherlands | Orchid |
| New Zealand | New Zealand | New Zealand soil | New |
| North Korea | Chousen Minjujugi Jinmin Kyouwakoku (North Korea) | Democratic People's Republic of Korea | Morning |
| Norway | Norway- | That Wei | That |
| Panama | Panama | Panama | The string "巴" does not have a direct translation in English and may refer to a specific concept or name in certain contexts. If you can provide more context, I would be glad to help further. |
| Peru | Peru- | Peru | Secret |
| Philippines | Fuiripin | Philippines | Compared to |
| Poland | Po-rando | Polish soil | Wave |
| Portugal | Portugal | Portugal | It seems you have entered a single character, "葡", which is often associated with "grape" in Chinese. If this was intended as a placeholder or part of a larger context, please provide additional text for translation. |
| Congo Republic | Kongo Kyou Wakoku | fruit | Official |
| Romania | Ru-mania | Romania | Loosely translated, "羅" refers to "net" or "gauze" in English. If this is meant to refer to a specific context or meaning, please provide more details for a more accurate translation. |
| Russia | Roshia | Russia | dew |
| Saudi Arabia | Saudi Arabia | Shatiara | 沙 |
| Singapore | Singapore | Seika-ha | star |
| South Africa | Minami Afurika | South Africa | South Africa |
| South Korea | Taikanminkoku (Kankoku) | Republic of Korea | Han |
| Spain | Spain | Spain | 西 |
| Sri Lanka | Suriranka | Ceylon | tin |
| Sweden | Suuei-den | Sweden | The character "瑞" translates to "auspicious" or "good omen" in English, but it is often used in specific cultural contexts that involve good fortune or blessings. |
| Switzerland | Suisu | Switzerland | The character "瑞" translates to "auspicious" or "good omen" in English, but it is often used in specific cultural contexts that involve good fortune or blessings. |
| Syria | Shiriya | Serbia | Narration |
| Taiwan | Chuuka Minkoku | Republic of China | Platform |
| Tajikistan | Tajikistan | Tajikistan | Tower |
| Thailand | Tai | Tai | Tai |
| Tunisia | Chunisha | Tunisia | 突 |
| Peru | Turkey | Turkey | 土 |
| Ukraine | Ukraine | Ukraine | crow |
| USA | America | America | 米 |
| Venezuela | Good morning | Venezuela | The string "委" translates to "Commission" in English. |
| Vietnam | Vietnam | Vietnam | 越 |
Meaning of the names of countries in Japanese
China called chuukoku [中国] literally means central country, central part, or central region. Japan called nippon [日本] literally means origin of the sun, or land of the rising sun as some say.
Thailand comes from the ideogram tai [泰] which means peaceful, calm, easy, and extreme. Korea is written as kankoku [韓国] which, despite having commonly used ideograms, currently conveys nothing beyond the idea of a country of Korea.
North Korea is called kitachousen [北朝鮮], consisting of the ideograms North and another ideogram that conveys the idea of dynasty, period, and regime. The last ideogram conveys the idea of fresh, vivid, clear, and bright.
It is worth ing that ideograms do not have meanings, they only convey ideas and concepts that can be easily broken down into a given word. Don't think of North Korea as a bright, vivid land.
Video of countries in Japanese
Below I will leave a video summarizing the article, in case you want to watch:
