Jipangu or Zipangu (ジパング) is a obfuscated name for Japan that has recently come into vogue for Japanese movies, animes, video games, etc. The English word "Japan" has a circuitous derivation, but linguists believe it derives in part from the Mandarin Chinese word Cipangu. In modern Japanese, Cipangu is transliterated as ジパング which in turn can be transliterated into English as Jipangu, Zipangu, Jipang, or Zipang.

Examples

• Jipangu (1990) information about the movie Jipangu in the Internet Movie Database

• Ezipangu.org a web magazine for "Transcultural Networking"

• Zipangu Club (in Japanese) a JR West website encouraging experience the "old Japan" via rail.

• TBS Animation Zipangu Homepage (in Japanese) a promotional site for an anime set in an alternate history of World War II

See also

• Names of Japan
• Foreign branding