Moderately Interesting Japanese Ep. 1: Unusual Last Names
Above: awesome name stamps Japanese people use in lieu of a signature on documents. I really want the laser beam Buddha.
So, I’ve been living in Japan for almost five years now (!!! Where has the time gone?!) and I’ve been working full-time as a Japanese-English translator for a big corporate machine for two years counting. It’s pretty fun despite working for The Man, and I’ve picked up lots of quirky little Japanese expressions, words, and unusual surnames along the way. I thought I’d share some of them here from time to time with you. I’m kinda toying with the format still, so bear with me haha.
I’m a big fan of Japanese names and the kanji they use for them. The more unusual, the more I love it! Here’s a collection of intriguing last names I’ve encountered during my stay here.
又吉 Matayoshi, a.k.a. “Lucky Again”
Apparently the mata (again) used to mean “crossroads,” and yoshi is a common character to put in a last name. It has its roots in Okinawa.
Number of people with this last name: ~9,800
剣持 Kenmochi, a.k.a. “Possesses a Sword”
SO COOL. This surname comes from a powerful noble family from current-day Okayama and Yamanashi Prefectures.
Number of people with this last name: ~5,200
蘇武 Sobu, a.k.a. “Reborn Warrior”
Just when you thought things couldn’t get any more metal than “Possesses a Sword.” This name is just badass. It also originates from Miyagi Prefecture, but that’s all that I could find about its etymology.
Number of people with this last name: ~1,000
大学 Daigaku, a.k.a. “University”
This name probably was given to people who lived near a large school in Miyagi Prefecture back in the day.
Number of people with this last name: ~680
The kanji 一 means “one” and is usually pronounced ichi or hitotsu. So why is it read ni no mae here? Ni is “two,” and no mae is “before.” So in other words, this last name translates to “before two,” which would have to be the number one, and so it is written as 一. Do you have a headache from reading that? lol
Number of people with this last name: ~380
鷹橋 Takanohashi, a.k.a. “Hawk Bridge”
It’s a pretty interesting surname for a couple reasons. Firstly, there is a very common surname Takahashi that is usually written 高橋, which translates to “tall bridge,” so the hawk kanji is really out of left field for Japanese people. This surname is also unusual because it has its roots in Hokkaido, which was the last prefecture to be settled and doesn’t have much history compared to the main Japanese islands. Though it is written with the kanji for “bridge,” the meaning of hashi is actually “one who travels to distant lands,” which would have been fitting for a settler.
Number of people with this last name: ~240
猫屋敷 Nekoyashiki, a.k.a. “Cat Mansion”
Well, imagine “mansion” as an estate that a wealthy lord would have lived on back in the day with servants and stuff. So does this mean that this person’s ancestors were rich cat ladies? Not necessarily. There is an expression “as narrow as a cat’s forehead” to indicate a cramped/small space, and the neko (cat) of Nekoyashiki implies that this person’s manor and grounds were small.
Number of people with this last name: ~20
八丁目 Hacchoume, a.k.a. “Eighth Avenue” (about 20 people)
If you haven’t already noticed from this list, many Japanese last names denote geographical features of where their ancestors lived. Any last name with yama (mountain) or ta/da (rice paddy) is denoting geography, for example. However, it’s highly unusual for a last name to be a street like this. This last name has its roots in Fukushima.
Number of people with this last name: ~20
Header images from left to right
Laser Buddha: 邪悪なハンコ屋しにものぐるい
Kanpai Kat: picstamp.net
Wily fox: 工房HANZOU
Information on each surname: myoji-yurai.net
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