The most representative example is Kamakura in Kanagawa Prefecture. Kamakura is the location in Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture, where Minamoto no Yoritomo established the Kamakura Shogunate, the center of Japan’s first samurai government. The number of tourists visiting Kamakura exceeds approximately 20 million annually. It is a temple and shrine tourist destination on par … Read More
The surname of the shogunal family of the Edo shogunate, which lasted for approximately 260 years. Originally a local lord in Matsudaira Village, Kamo District, Mikawa Province, who used the Matsudaira surname, but changed it to Tokugawa during Ieyasu’s time. The Edo Shogunate began in 1603 (Keichō 8) when Tokugawa Ieyasu established it, and … Read More
Widely distributed throughout Okinawa Prefecture, it is the most common surname in the prefecture. Derived from “bijā,” meaning east. Located in the southeastern part of Hamahiga Island, central Okinawa Island. Locally, it is collectively called Bama-Hija with the beach in the northwest. There is a rocky hill called a gusuku at an elevation of … Read More
The surname Morita is written vertically. The first line on the left is in hiragana, the middle line is in kanji, and the third line on the right is in katakana, all written vertically. The first kanji character, “森,” represents a forest, and the second character, “田,” refers to rice fields. Our ancestors may … Read More
The first character in the center is the old character form of Shibuya. You hardly ever see it nowadays, but this character was used until around the early Showa period. It seems some Japanese people still use this old character form in their surnames. This character is a kanji meaning “bitter taste,” “to stagnate,” … Read More
The origin of Yoshida There are two main theories regarding the origin of the name: one is based on the place name, and the other is derived from “Yoshida,” which refers to rice fields with positive connotations. Cases derived from place names The place name “Yoshida-cho” is said to have originated from the Muromachi … Read More
Kanroji is one of the Japanese family names. It is an extremely rare surname, with only a few dozen people bearing it nationwide today. Its origin is said to stem from the clan (Fujiwara clan) granted by Emperor Tenji to Nakatsukasa no Kamatari, also known as the Ryomon branch. Its status as a court … Read More
One of the extremely rare Japanese surnames It may have existed in the past, but it is not currently found in Japanese surname databases. It might be a fictional surname, but “鬼” means demon, “舞” means dance, and ‘辻’ means crossroads. This surname signifies “a crossroads where demons dance.” Legends from olden times say … Read More
Kamado is one of the Japanese family name. This surname is extremely rare and uncommon, with only about 10 people bearing it in Japan. The protagonist of the manga Demon Slayer, Kamado Tanjiro, shares this surname. What is the origin of Kamado? Places with the same name can be found in areas like Kikusui … Read More
This is a calligraphy written using a method called bi-calligraphy, and it has the same meaning as the English word “growing up” and the Japanese word “成馬” in Kanji. 成馬 is a mature horse over 20 months old Although this word is not listed in the Japanese dictionary, it is sometimes read as Narima, … Read More
Etymology of the Suzuki surname Suzuki is said to be the second most common surname in Japan. Originating from Kii Province (Wakayama Prefecture), it began when the Hozumi clan, who served as Shinto priests in Shingu City, Wakayama Prefecture, adopted the Suzuki surname. A branch family of the Hozumi clan adopted the surname Suzuki. … Read More
Explanation of Kimura’s Origin Multiple theories exist regarding the origin of the name “Kimura,” including: – Deriving from a place name meaning “village where trees grow thickly” – Being related to the historically known Ashikaga clan branch Kimura family of Tochigi City, Tochigi Prefecture, through blood ties or local connections – Possibly originating from … Read More
Takahashi is the 3nd most common Japanese surname. The surname Takahashi is derived from the place name “Takahashi” in various parts of the country. “Takahashi” means “the edge of a hill” or “a high bridge”, and it was named as a place name in such a place. Japanese American Surname Ranking (U.S. Census Bureau, … Read More
Saito is the 19th most common Japanese surname. Since Mr. Fujiwara’s family, Mochinobu, was the secretary of the “Saigu-ryo” of the government office near Ise Jingu, “Saigu-ryo” It is said that it started with calling himself “Saito” by saying “Mr. Fujiwara”. Etymology of the Saito surname Occupation. Variant of Saito. The character meaning of … Read More
Sato is the 1st common Japanese surname. The surname Sato is said to have started with the gift of Kamatari Nakatomi (Mr. Fujiwara) from Emperor Tenchi, and the name of Sato by the descendant of Hidesato Fujiwara, Kinkiyo Saemonnojo. When the Fujiwara family prospered, he called “Sa” the second role after the highest position … Read More
