Yamato Kotoba Day: Celebrating Japan's Oldest Words

Today, and August 18th annually, is Yamato Kotoba Day やまとことばの日 in Japan. The commemoration was created by an organization who work to preserve Japan's oldest words, located in Yao City, Osaka. The day highlights Yamato kotoba, Japan’s oldest native vocabulary; words that existed long before kanji arrived from China.

These early Japanese words were once understood through sound alone, with syllables like ひ (sun, fire), み (water, fruit), and き (tree, spirit) expressing natural elements and feelings. When hiragana and katakana were developed in the Heian period, Yamato kotoba finally gained written forms, becoming the foundation of classics such as The Tale of Genji and Kokin Wakashū.

Over the centuries, everyday speech shifted toward Chinese‑derived vocabulary and modern loanwords, leaving many traditional expressions forgotten. "Yamato Kotoba Day" encourages people to rediscover these gentle, evocative words and appreciate language as a living part of Japan’s cultural memory. YAMATO is the Yamato-kotoba for Japan.