Yamato nadeshiko

is a Japanese term and a flower metaphor. The term describes the "flower of Japanese womanhood" or what is generally believed to be typical and ideal about Japanese women.TVTropes.org,  "Yamato Nadeshiko"; retrieved 2012-8-10. It also means "traditional daughter of Japan".Seward, Jack. (1992).  Outrageous Japanese: Slang, Curses & Epithets, p. 66.

The phrase combines the words Yamato, which is an ancient name for Japan, and nadeshiko, which is a wild pink carnation (dianthus superbus).

History
The phrase Yamato Nadeshiko means the traditional Japanese woman, and she is contrasted with other women such as the "new" type of Japanese woman.Ofori, Everett. (2011).  Guaranteed Formula for Writing Success, p. 94. As ideas about women have developed and changed, this term has meant different things at different times in history.  For example, the term had a special nationalistic meaning during World War II.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Yamato Nadeshiko" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 1047.

 is the name for the Japan women's national football team.Hongo, Jun, "Nadeshiko Japan eyes London Olympic gold ", Japan Times, 24 January 2012, p. 3.

 References 

Category:Japanese culture