In Japanese, the country is called Nihon or Nippon. The two Chinese characters may be translated as "origin of the sun" or "land of the rising sun". The name Japan is believed to have come from European pronunciation attempts of Chinese words for "Japan". The Japanese flag is called Hinomaru (circle of the sun). The red circle on the white background symbolizes the sun.

The English word for Japan came to the west from early trade routes. The early Mandarin Chinese word for Japan was recorded by Marco Polo as Cipangu. However, the Cantonese word for Japan, from which the word Japan was probably originally born, is Jatbun. In Malay the Cantonese word became Japang and was thus encountered by Portuguese traders in Malacca in the 16th century. It is thought the Portuguese traders were the first to bring the word to Europe. It was first recorded in English in 1577 spelled Giapan.

The name "Japan" is actually the Chinese pronunciation of "land of the sun's origin". The Japanese word for this is "Nippon"/"Nihon". I'm sure you can see a vague similarity in the 3 pronunciations. Today, the ideographic symbols for Japan are the symbol for a sun (or day), and the symbol for book (or truth). The symbol for book/truth may simply be a shorthand simplification of the VERY similar symbol for "east", represented by the image of a sun behind a tree. It's interesting to note that in the case of both China and Japan, famous exports have taken on the same name as the countries. It's no mistake that China was once famous for its "china": fine porcelein exports. The formula was once a closely guarded secret of Chinese manufacturers and exporters, but was eventually reverse-engineered by enterprising Europeans. Likewise, Japan was once famous for its exports of dark, heavily lacquered "Japaned" wood furniture. According to one etymologist, "1577, via Port. Japao, Du. Japan, acquired in Malacca from Malay Japang, from Chinese jih pun "sunrise" (equivalent of Japanese Nippon), from jih "sun" + pun "origin." Earliest form in Europe was Marco Polo's Chipangu. Colloquial abbreviation Jap is from 1880, not originally pejorative but became so during World War II. Cultural contact led to japaning "coat with laquer or varnish" (1688), along with japonaiserie (1896, from Fr.), japonica (1819, from variant Japon), etc. Japanese beetle attested from 1919, accidentally introduced in U.S. 1916 in larval stage in a shipment of Japanese iris. Japlish "Japanese with many Eng. words" is from 1960." (The preceding quote is drawn from "etymonline.com")

i was under the impression that japan recieved their name from protugese meaning golden land thanks to the vast resources and opportunity for trade