Beikoku

Beikoku is the Japanese term used for the United States of America. In Japanese, the country is usually referred to as 米国 (Beikoku) or アメリカ合衆国 (Amerika Gasshūkoku); 米国 is common in formal writing and media, while Beikoku is the reading for 米国 and may appear in literature, speech, or more concise references.

The term Beikoku reflects a traditional Japanese shorthand for the United States, formed from the kanji 米 (often associated with rice, but used here as a phonetic component) and 国 (country). 米国 has long been established in Japanese to designate the United States, with Beikoku as its commonly used reading in many contexts.

Geopolitically, the United States is a federal republic consisting of 50 states and various territories. It operates under a written constitution that separates powers among executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Since its founding, the United States has been a major global power in politics, economy, science, and culture. After World War II, Japan and the United States established a close alliance, rooted in the 1951 Treaty of San Francisco and ongoing security arrangements that have shaped regional security in East Asia.

In culture and media, Beikoku appears in Japanese-language fiction, journalism, and analysis as a stand-in for the United States or as a setting in alternate histories, often distinguished from other nations in narrative contexts.