Taikun
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Taikun (大君) is an archaic Japanese term of respect derived from Chinese I Ching used to refer to a monarch. Its literal meaning is "Great Lord/Prince" or "Supreme Commander". In the Edo Period the word was used as a title designating the Shogun of Japan in relations with foreign countries.
The term was first used by the Tokugawa shogunate in an attempt to extricate Japan from the Sino-centric system of relations. As Shogun, he certainly could not call himself Emperor (天皇, Tennō), but he also could not use the term "king" (国王, kokuō). Kokuō was the term used by the kings of states which were tributaries of China, and which formally submitted politically to the Chinese Emperor. As formal language is extremely important in diplomacy, the connotations of most alternative terms were found to be inappropriate, and so taikun was chosen to best represent the shogun in formal diplomatic communications.
A modified version of this word appears in the English language as "tycoon", referring to a wealthy business manager. The term is notable as one of the few Japanese words to have entered the English language that do not refer specifically to unique aspects of Japanese culture.
