国書

Japanese

Kanji in this term
国	書
こく Grade: 2	しょ Grade: 2

Alternative spelling
國書 (kyūjitai)

Noun

国(こく)書(しょ) • (kokusho) 

1. a diplomatic letter, a message sent by the head of state
   • 2000, Michihide Habu, Tōgō Heihachirō: Meiji Nihon o Sukutta Kyōun no Teitoku, →OCLC:

     その国(こく)書(しょ)の返(へん)書(しょ)期(き)限(げん)は約(やく)一(いち)年(ねん)先(さき)であったが、その間(あいだ)に国(こく)論(ろん)は、攘(じょう)夷(い)論(ろん)と開(かい)国(こく)論(ろん)に大(おお)きく分(わ)かれていこうとしていたのである。

     Sono kokusho no hensho kigen wa yaku ichinen saki de atta ga, sono aida ni kokuron wa, jōiron to kaikokuron ni ōkiku wakarete ikō to shite ita no de aru.

     The deadline to reply to the diplomatic dispatch was about a year off, but during that time national opinion was undergoing a large schism into those favoring the exclusion of foreigners and those favoring the opening of the country.

2. a piece of national literature; a literary work written in the national language, as opposed to a foreign language
   • 2019 April 3, “Shin gengō: Kami hirakeba ryōtan ni kokusho, jimu-kata setsumei, nijimu Reiwa-oshi [New era name: If you open the paper you will see national literature on both ends, staff explains, indications of Reiwa push]”, in Mainichi Shimbun‎^[1]:

     一(いっ)方(ぽう)で ６(ろく) 案(あん)の提(てい)示(じ)の仕(し)方(かた)や、事(じ)務(む)方(かた)による説(せつ)明(めい)の内(ない)容(よう)からは、「国(こく)書(しょ)を典(てん)拠(きょ)とした初(はつ)の元(げん)号(ごう)」を目(め)指(ざ)した形(けい)跡(せき)もみえる。

     Ippō de roku an no teiji no shikata ya, jimukata ni yoru setsumei no naiyō kara wa,“kokusho o tenkyo to shita hatsu no gengō” o mezashita keiseki mo mieru.

     On the other hand, based on how the six candidates were presented and on the staff's explanation, it also appears that they were aiming for "the first era name sourced from national literature".