On the left is 禾 which represents an ear of grain. However, a closer look at the etymology of the character和 shows us that this should not be the case. In demanding social unity, individuality can be lost and individual rights suppressed. Sometimes this emphasis of the group over the individual is seen in a negative light. Frequently, commentators on Japanese culture will contrast this group ethic with the more individualistic culture of Western societies. A good citizen is one who contributes to the overall “wa” and this brings peace (or 平和 heiwa) and accord (or 調和 chōwa). Group values and the welfare of the community are seen as more important than individual ambitions or desires. Also, the ideal state of social harmony as expressed by 和 is still an integral part of what makes Japan tick. The kanji appears in Japan’s newest era name: 令和 or Reiwa, and和has actually been used in era names on 19 previous occasions. 和 is still a big part of how the Japanese see themselves. …when the superiors are in harmony with each other and the inferiors are friendly, then affairs are discussed quietly and the right view of matters prevails.” In this document which laid the moral framework of Japan as a nascent nation state, Prince Shōtoku wrote, “Harmony should be valued and quarrels should be avoided. Influenced by Chinese Confucian and Buddhist philosophies the legendary regent Prince Shōtoku (574 – 622) specifically wrote和into his constitution for the Japanese nation. “Wa” meaning “harmony” was a very important concept in Japan’s formative years. The fact that the Japanese chose this character to name themselves is very telling. 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.
Written 大和 which literally means “Great Wa” these two kanji together are pronounced “Yamato”. The Japanese also borrowed the same kanji to write the name of the Yamato kingdom from which the nation of Japan is descended. Sometime in the 8 th century they decided to switch 倭 for 和 which had the same pronunciation, but the much more pleasing meaning of “harmony”. Unfortunately, this character also has the rather unflattering meaning of “dwarf”, and not surprisingly the Japanese didn’t like it. However, the Chinese used a different kanji for this name: 倭. “Wa” is the oldest recorded name for Japan, and occurs in several ancient Chinese texts. Its original meaning is “harmony,” and “Japanese” is a secondary meaning that the Japanese chose for themselves. However, “Japanese” is actually not the primary meaning of this character. The use of 和 to confer a very pure and traditional sense of “Japaneseness” is ubiquitous in the Japanese language. 和室 ( washitsu) = a (traditional) Japanese style room 和服 ( wafuku) = Japanese (traditional) clothes Pronounced “ wa” it is frequently used as a prefix in kanji compounds to mean “Japanese” or “Japanese style”. If you ever live in Japan, sooner or later you are going to encounter the kanji character 和.
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