1.
morning sun; rising sun
The sun as it rises in the early morning. Refers both to the physical sun visible at dawn and to the light it casts. A word with poetic and cultural resonance in Japanese, evoking freshness, new beginnings, and the beauty of dawn.
Composed of 朝 (morning) and 日 (sun/day), with the voicing change ひ→び. The word refers specifically to the sun at dawn — not just any morning sunlight, but the sun itself as it appears on the horizon.
The word carries strong aesthetic and cultural associations. It appears in the name of 旭日旗 (Rising Sun flag), the newspaper 朝日新聞, and the beer brand アサヒ. It is also a common element in place names and personal names.
Common collocations
- 朝日が昇る: the morning sun rises
- 朝日を浴びる: to bathe in the morning sun
- 朝日に照らされる: to be illuminated by the morning sun
- 朝日が差す: morning sunlight streams in