Both "Nippon" and "Nihon" literally mean "the sun's origin", that is, where the sun originates, and are often translated as the "Land of the Rising Sun". This nomenclature comes from Imperial correspondence with the Chinese Sui Dynasty and refers to Japan's eastern position relative to China. Before "Nihon" came into official use, Japan was known as or . "Wa" was a name early China used to refer to an ethnic group living in Japan around the time of the Three Kingdoms Period.