Is there a general rule when to use の to connect words?

[-悪魔-]

日本料理

but then there's

日本の音楽

etc etc

I know the somewhat general rule is noun + noun requires の but adj + noun doesnt require の. Can anybody offer further explination?

 

[PaulTB]

日本料理

but then there's

日本の音楽

Actually 日本音楽 is used almost as often as 日本の音楽.

I know the somewhat general rule is noun + noun requires の but adj + noun doesnt require の.

Hmm, well yes but that isn't what's happening with 日本料理.

Can anybody offer further explination?

Well it's a little bit like this ...

In English words are separated with a space, right?
"kill file"
but words that are often used together, especially small words, tend to end up first with a -
"kill-file"
and then finally merge into a single new word
"killfile".

So if you have something like 日本の料理 there's a tendency for it to 'collapse' into a single word. Alternatively you can think of 料理 as a suffix one that can be applied to any country name (e.g. ロシア for ロシア料理).

I don't think there are any universal rules for when you'll have a concept as two words with の and when you don't you just have to pick it up as you go along.

 

[aleku]

for me, i think 日本の料理 and 日本料理 are different


日本の料理 is the 料理 made in japan, it can be non-和食

日本料理 is the 和食, could be made in other countries


my personal feeling....

 

[PaulTB]

for me, i think 日本の料理 and 日本料理 are different


日本の料理 is the 料理 made in japan, it can be non-和食

日本料理 is the 和食, could be made in other countries

Hmm, that's at least semi-plausible but a look at the Google links doesn't seem to bear it out.

私たちの国、日本の料理を見直す リンク集
===
旅行先でも国内でも、世界中の料理を食べることのできる恵まれた国日本。でも、海外旅行中ふと思い出すのはやはり、懐かしい日本料理ではありませんか？「日本食」をもっと極めたいあなたへ。

 

[Glenn]

The difference to me is more one of formality, with 日本料理 being more formal than its の inclusive conterpart. I guess this comes from the ellipsis of の in newspaper headlines and in formal writing.