Yamato nadeshiko

For other uses, see Nadeshiko (disambiguation).

Yamato nadeshiko (やまとなでしこ or 大和撫子) is a Japanese term meaning the "personification of an idealized Japanese woman",[1] or "the epitome of pure, feminine beauty".[2] It is a floral metaphor,[3] combining the words Yamato, an ancient name for Japan, and nadeshiko, a delicate frilled pink carnation called Dianthus superbus, whose kanji translate into English as "caressable child" (or "wide-eyed barley").[4][5]

The term "Yamato nadeshiko" is often used referring to a girl or shy young woman[6] and, in a contemporary context, nostalgically of women with good traits which are perceived as being increasingly rare.[7] However, Nadeshiko Japan is also widely used as the name for the Japanese national women's football team.[8]

See also

References

  1. Kenkyūsha's New Japanese-English Dictionary (5th edition, 2003)
  2. Yang Ch'ien-ho and the Work of Writing Modern Selfhood. Satoko Kakihara1 University of California, San Diego
  3. "Contesting the Nation through a Genealogy of Girl Consciousness", Barbara Hartley, School of Asian Studies, University of Auckland
  4. Koujien, Iwanamishoten, all editions—entry for なでしこ
  5. Kanjigen, Gakken, all editions—entries for 撫, 子, 瞿, 麦
  6. Blackberries in the Dream House by Diane Frank. 1st World Publishing, 2003
  7. Yomouri Web: (Japanese)
  8. Japanese Women and Sport: Beyond Baseball and Sumo by Robin Kietlinski, A&C Black, 1 December 2011.


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/11/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.