Nippon ka Nihon ka

  Kanji-Jukugo de kaku to kizukanai no desu ga, "Nippon" to "Nihon" no futa-toori no yomikata ga ari-masu. Mazu, Kanji-Jukugo wo sono mama yomu to [NI TI][HO N~] to nari-masu. Yamato Jidai wa [NI TI] wa "nit" de ari, [HO N~] wa "pon" de atta koto kara, "Nitpon" ga Ichiban chikai yomikata datta no deshou. Tokoro ga, Touji wa Dakuten, Han-Dakuten ya Sokuon no Hyouki ga mada nakatta no de, Manqyou-gana de wa [NI HO N~] to kaku shika ari-masen.
  Touji no yomikata wo sono mama tamotte iru no ga "Nippon" de ari, Touji no kana-Hyouki wo sono mama tamochi, Gendai no yomi de yomu no ga "Nihon" desu.

Kanji-Jukugo	Yomikata	Kana-Moji	Yomikata
[NI TI][HO N~]	Nit-pon	→	Nippon
[NI TI][HO N~]	→	[NI HO N~]	Nihon