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vikio t1_j6hfq54 wrote

Reply to comment by Whitehatdvl in ELI5: How do they come up with names for countries in foreign languages? by bentobam

Well, Japan changed the pronunciation of it's own name from Nippon to Nihon after WW2. The actual name didn't change, both are legit readings of 日本. They switched because Nihon sounds softer and they wanted to show commitment to peace and demilitarization.

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