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”…
Illustrated guide to Harry Potter Studio Tour Tokyo
Went to see the huge Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo – The Making of Harry Potter in Oct. 2023, four months after it opened in June 16, 2023. It was…
Origin of “Sato,” Japan’s No. 1 surname
by Philbert Ono, updated: June 17, 2023 “Sato” (佐藤) is Japan’s No. 1 most common family name with about 1.8 million people named “Sato.” This translates to 1.5 percent of…
Origin of “Suzuki,” Japan’s No. 2 surname
by Philbert Ono, updated Dec. 15, 2024 “Suzuki” (鈴木) is Japan’s No. 2 most common family name, right behind “Sato.” The name’s meaning is very puzzling because the meaning of…
Japanese family names illustrated
by Philbert Ono, updated: Dec. 19, 2023 Most of us don’t usually think about it, but many Japanese family names contain beautiful imagery reflecting Japan’s natural beauty, rural scenery, agrarian…