Ichigen koji (166)
Posted by ampontan on Sunday, September 9, 2012
一言居士
– A person who has something to say about everything
* One of the Japanese words for “you”, kimi, is actually derived from the Korean family name Kim.
* A man named Bak (Park) came to Japan from the Korean Peninsula and established the Yamataikoku settlement near Osaka. His name is the origin of one of the Japanese masculine words for “I” (boku).
* A man named Kim also established a settlement in Kyushu.
* After some time, this settlement came to control all of Japan, and the Japanese emperor’s name became Gimhae Kim (the name of a clan on the Korean Peninsula).
* The Kimi ga Yo of the Japanese national anthem (very roughly) means “The king’s (emperor’s) domain. But because Kim was the ruler of Japan, and the progenitor of the Emperor’s family name, the title really means “Kim’s (kimi) domain”.
- An etymological argument presented by Lee Nam-gyo of Kyungil University, in a column in the Maeil Shinmun, about the origin of the waka poem Kimi ga Yo, written (perhaps as a love poem) during the Heian period (794–1185). The lyrics later became those of the Japanese national anthem. The location of the Yamataikoku is still a matter for serious debate in Japan.
Prof. Lee reportedly also thinks the words wasabi (Japanese horseradish), Christ, Santa Claus, and Big Bang are also of Korean origin. His photo is at the top of the post.
21st Century Schizoid Man said
Some univ. profs are just doing job for entertaining, on the both sides of the water but he may be the king of it all.
Camphortree said
I have just learned a Korean proverb that says, “Telling a lie a hundred times will make it true.”
嘘も百回言えば本当になる。
Robert said
It is believed that members of Korean royalty went into exile at or near the famous site of Saitobaru in Kyushu, near Miyazaki. There are hand-outs there that detail the genealogy of the Korean royals.
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R: Thanks for the note.
Everyone in Japan knows that. For a more detailed discussion, see this post from five years ago. You’ll note that even foreign researchers are not convinced of a very close connection. This post, also from five years ago, is related, and many of the comments are worth reading.
The theories presented by Prof. Lee are, shall we say, highly entertaining.
- A.