Origin of Fukushima prefectural name
FUKUSHIMA – Good Fortune Island 福島県 The “Fukushima” name came from Suginome Castle (杉妻城 or 杉目城) after it was renamed “Fukushima Castle” (福島城) by the Gamo Clan castle lord. No…
Origin of Niigata prefectural name
NIIGATA – New Inlet 新潟県 There are two leading theories about the origin of the Niigata name. Theory 1: The origin dates back to the 16th century and likely refers…
Origin of Miyagi prefectural name
MIYAGI – Shrine & Castle 宮城県 No one knows for sure regarding the origin of the name “Miyagi.” There are multiple theories. Theory 1: “Miya,” meaning shrine, might refer to…
Origin of Yamagata prefectural name
YAMAGATA – Mountain Shape 山形県 The prefecture was named after the castle town of Yamagata where the prefectural capital was located. The castle was built by the Yamagata Clan. ・”Yamagata”…
Origin of Akita prefectural name
AKITA – Autumn Rice Paddies 秋田県 Although “Akita” literally means Autumn Rice Paddies, this meaning is generally not recognized as the original since the current kanji characters are actually ateji…
Origin of Iwate prefectural name
IWATE – Rock Handprints 岩手県 Prefectural name Iwate comes from a local legend. The legend’s setting is Mitsuishi Shrine (三ツ石神社) in Morioka, dedicated to three granite boulders embodying a god…
Origin of Aomori prefectural name
AOMORI – Green Woods 青森県 Aomori is the northernmost prefecture on the Honshu mainland facing the Tsugaru Strait and Hokkaido. ・The name “Aomori” originated from the aomori green woods (likely…
Origin of Hokkaido prefectural name
HOKKAIDO – North Sea Road 北海道 The only prefecture that’s a “do” (道) instead of a ken (県). It’s also the only prefectural name where we always pronounce the “do”…