Hashimoto in Kanji, Katakana and Hiragana

The Hashimoto surname is distributed nationwide, with Fukushima Prefecture’s Miharu Town notably having 9% of its population bearing the surname. While Fukushima is the only prefecture ranking in the national top ten, the surname is found fairly evenly throughout Japan, excluding Kagoshima and Okinawa Prefectures.

Origin in Environment and Topography

The origin of “Hashimoto” (橋本) is a surname derived from the topography “at the foot of a bridge” (橋のたもと). It is thought that this place name arose from settlements near bridges or towns forming beside bridges as key transportation points, and later spread as a surname.

Some cases may originate from the Imperial line

The most famous Hashimoto family is the court noble Hashimoto family, who served the Imperial court for generations by playing the flute. They are a branch of the Saionji clan of the Northern Fujiwara lineage.

Explanation of this calligraphy by Matsumoto

The top row is in hiragana, the middle row in kanji, and the bottom row in katakana, all written horizontally.

Japanese American Surname Ranking (U.S. Census Bureau, 1990 Survey)

This ranks 16th in the Japanese American surname rankings.