Origin of Chiba prefectural name
CHIBA – Thousand Leaves 千葉県 As a place name, “Chiba” has been around since the 9th century. The oldest known document in which it appears is the Man’yōshū book of…
Japan Blog by Philbert Ono
CHIBA – Thousand Leaves 千葉県 As a place name, “Chiba” has been around since the 9th century. The oldest known document in which it appears is the Man’yōshū book of…
SAITAMA – Divine Spirit of Happiness 埼玉県 Although it is basically known where the name “Saitama” came from (a village named “Sakitama” in present-day Gyoda city), the actual meaning remains…
GUNMA – Herd of Horses 群馬県 “Gunma” is one of only four prefectural names that includes an animal (other three are Tottori, Kumamoto, and Kagoshima). ・”Gunma” likely originated from local…
TOCHIGI – Horse Chestnut Tree 栃木県 No one knows for sure how the name Tochigi originated. The name “Tochigi” appeared as early as 1394 when Tochigi Castle was built by…
IBARAKI – Thorny Castle 茨城県 The name “Ibaraki” has been around as the name of a district even before the old Hitachi Province was established in the 7th century in…
Wishing you the best in 2024, the Year of the Dragon. My heart goes out to people in Ishikawa (especially Noto Peninsula) and Toyama Prefectures starting off the new year…
🎍On January 1, 2024, I went to Sensoji Temple (浅草寺) in Asakusa, Tokyo’s most famous Buddhist temple and one of the most popular places in Japan for hatsumode (初詣) or…