Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.
八紘 (はっこう) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
noun
the eight directions ; the whole land ; the whole world
Classical Chinese-derived term for the entire world or all directions under heaven. Rare in modern everyday speech; mainly encountered in historical, literary, or ideological contexts, such as the wartime slogan 八紘一宇.
Kanji 八 eight, eight radical (no. 12) Similar words 天てん 下か 天下 is a more common term for 'the whole country' or 'the realm', while 八紘 is a classical, literary expression with a stronger sense of all-encompassing directions.
世せ 界かい 世界 is the standard modern word for 'the world'; 八紘 is an archaic, elevated synonym rarely used outside fixed phrases.
Etymology From Chinese 八紘 (bāhóng), literally 'eight vast ropes' or 'eight directions', referring to the eight points of the compass and by extension the entire world. The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the spelling is conventionally associated with this meaning.
か
や
世せ
界かい
全ぜん
体たい
を
指さ
す
言こと
葉ば
と
し
て
使つか
わ
れ
た
。
In old texts, hakkō was used as a word meaning the whole realm or the entire world.
