What did Japanese Call "WWII" ?

[Bruce Pennington]

Just curious what the Japanese called, what we call, "WWII?"

Also, is there a single kanji for "War"?

Thanks!

[ghp95134]

Just curious what the Japanese called, what we call, "WWII?"

第二次世界大戰
Dai Niji Sekai Taisen
Second Great World War
Japanese Wiki

I think that during the war, they called it the
日中戦争
Nitchū Sensō
Japan-China War
But in English we call it Second Sino-Japanese War

Also, is there a single kanji for "War"?

Not quite a single kanji:

戦争
Sensō

戦 can also used to mean competition as in
読売ジャイアンツ・中日ドラゴンズ戦のナイター...
Yomiuri Giants vs. Chunichi Dragons night game...



--Guy

[tomp]

Also this: Great East Asia War

大東亜戦争

Tom

[Nick Komiya]

The war was officially named the Greater East Asia War by a cabinet decision on 11th December 1941, but that name was banned by the Americans on 15th December 1945, giving rise to the post war euphemisms that Guy mentioned, including the most commonly used, in Japan, Pacific War 太平洋戦争 . The ban on the word Greater East Asia War no longer exists, but still remains a taboo today.

[Bruce Pennington]

Thanks guys, good information! No particular reason, just got to wondering about that.