Abstract

In Japanese, there are two words indicating 'the naked body': hadaka (はだか) as Japan's pure native word and ratai (裸体) as kanji word. Originally, due to the hot and humid climate, Japan had a tradition of living naked, but in the Meiji era, contacting with the western cultures, Japan began to enforce the naked body. In the ordinance to restrict the naked body, Chinese characters 裸体 appeared officially. In the early days, it is likely that they read 'hadaka' for 裸体. Also, in the 1920's of Meiji, there was "Nude Painting Controversy (裸体画論争)" in Japan, after introducing the western nude paintings. In this controversy, people started to read 'ratai' for 裸体. This style is 'the new kanji word' indicating the western cultures as two chinese characters. There was the need to make a new expression for the naked body as the subject to the restriction and appreciation.