The Etymology of Akita
The name derives from the ancient term “Agita.” It is the place visited by Abe no Hirafu, who appears in the *Nihon Shoki* (Chronicles of Japan). The prevailing theory is that the name originates from Ainu or ancient Japanese words meaning “a high place” or “a piece of land jutting out” (age-ta). Later, the Chinese characters for “Akita” were assigned to this name.
This is widely accepted as the etymology of the current Tohoku region of Japan, specifically Akita Prefecture.
One of the Japanese Surnames
This is a lineage of samurai and noble families that took the name from the place name “Akita” in Dewa Province (present-day Akita Prefecture) or from the official title “Akita-no-shōsuke” held by the Andō clan, who governed the region. There are also theories that it derives from “Akita” (飽田), referring to rice crops in low-lying wetlands, or that the characters for ‘Akita’ were applied to a place name meaning “high ground.”
There are approximately 37,000 people with this surname nationwide.
Hachiko’s breed is the Akita Inu (dog)
Hachiko, the dog from Shibuya who became famous through a Hollywood movie, is an Akita Inu. This relatively large breed is most commonly red in color, followed by brindle and white, and is characterized by a tail that curls upward. This breed is also named “Akita.”
Explanation of this calligraphy
The left side is written vertically in hiragana, the center consists of two kanji characters, and the right side is written vertically in katakana.
The kanji character “秋” (Aki) represents “autumn” in the four seasons of Japan (“spring, summer, autumn, winter”), and “田” (Ta) means “rice paddy.”
