Japan (Nippon)

Capital : Tokyo

Japan is made up of four main islands (Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu) and many smaller ones. The Kurile chain east of Hokkaido came under Soviet rule in 1945 but are claimed by Japan.

Provinces

Aichi	Akita	Aomori	Chiba	Chugoku	Ehime
Fukui	Fukuoka	Fukushima	Gifu	Gumma	Hiroshima
Hokkaido	Hyogo	Ibaraki	Ishikawa	Iwate	Kagawa
Kagoshima	Kanagawa	Kochi	Kumamoto	Kyoto	Mie
Miyagi	Miyazaki	Nagano	Nagasaki	Nara	Niigata
Oita	Okayama	Oki	Okinawa	Osaka	Sado
Saga	Saitama	Shiga	Shikoku	Shimane	Shizuoka
Tochigi	Tokushima	Tokyo	Tottori	Toyama	Tsushima
Yamagata	Yamaguchi	Yamanashi

Prefectures

Awa	Bingo	Bitchu	Bizen	Bungo	Buzen
Chikugo	Chikuzen	Dewa	Echigo	Echizen	Etchu
Ezo	Harima	Higo	Hitachi	Hizen	Hoki
Hyaga	Iga	Iki	Inaba	Ise	Iwami
Iyo	Izu	Izumi	Izumo	Kaga	Kai
Kawachi	Kazusa	Kii	Kozuke	Mikawa	Mino
Minsaka	Mushasi	Mutsu	Nagato	Noto	Oki
Omi	Osumi	Owari	Sado	Sanuki	Satsuma
Settsu	Shima	Shimosa	Shinano	Shinotsuke	Suo
Suruga	Tajima	Tamba	Tango	Tosa	Totomi
Tsushima	Wakasa	Yamashiro	Yamato

History

The area was first inhabited about 200 000 years ago but the present Japanese people are probably descended from later migrations. They are of Ural-Altaic origin, mostly Mongoloid but with some southern Chinese or Polynesian influence. The Ainu, now just a small minority of Hokkaido, but once dominant in the north, are thought to be Caucasoid or Australoid and may have some links with the Uralic population of Siberia.

During the Bronze Age, trading links with China were established and most Japanese history is only recorded in Chinese documents up to the C2nd AD. The religion now called 'Shinto' was indigenous to Japan but Buddhism was brought in through China and Korea by 552 AD and became the main influence on Japanese art and literature until the C19th.

From the C5th to C6th, part of south-east Korea, the kingdom of Mimana, was under Japanese control. This led to contact with the Chinese civilization and its governmental practices which were promoted by the Soga clan, which was related to the imperial family, although the Mononobe (soldiers) and Nakatomi (priests) opposed this. In 646, succession disputes culminated in the Taika reforms, partly influenced by the Chinese legal system, partly a way for the new leaders to establish power.

The Nara Period (710-84) saw the establishment of the first capital city, Heijokyo (Nara) in the reign of the Empress Gemmei. Buddhism and Chinese civilization became more strongly established and a literary tradition was born. The Great Buddha or Daibutsu (a 16 metre high image of the Buddha still in existence today) was dedicated in 752.

The capital was moved to Heiankyo (modern Kyoto) by Emperor Kammu, the first ruler of the Heian Period (784-1185). Links with China remained close and most scholarly works were written in Chinese. The Fujiwara family were dominant for most of the period and managed to control many of the Emperors through marriage ties, forcing many of them (often still minors) to abdicate. In the C11th there was a period of 'cloister government' during which the Emperor retired from the ceremonial duties of the imperial office but still had power and influence and his own court.

Law and order were strongly enforced during the Kamakura Period (1185-1333) and the samurai military caste was formed. The Taira and Minamoto families vied for power and fought battles against each other. The Mongols took control of northern China after about 1230 but their invasion attempts were prevented from succeeding in Japan. The constant need to keep forces ready, especially during Kublai Khan's lifetime, led to high taxation which was resented as a series of natural disasters had already weakened the economy in the C13th.

The Ashikaga family from Muromachi in Kyoto gained the ascendancy during the Muromachi or Ashikaga Period (1333-1573). For much of the C14th, there were two imperial courts, the Southern and Northern Courts or nanbokucho. Civil war was almost continuous and the period from 1467-1578 is called sengoku or 'country at war'.

The Momoyama Period (1573-1616) saw the first contacts with the west as the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and English established trade and missionary foundations in the Far East. By the end of the C16th, Japan had become a united feudal state due to the influence of the military rulers, Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu. It was under Hideyoshi that Japan invaded Korea in 1592 but failed to establish itself although many Korean artists came to Japan during this time. The years from 1543-1640 are known as Japan's 'Christian Century'. The Jesuit missionaries believed there to be about 300 000 Roman Catholics in Japan by 1595 and there are various instances of torture and martyrdom at the hands of the shoguns who issued a decree making Christianity illegal in 1614.

In 1637, the peasants of the Shimabara peninsula, many of whom were Christians, rebelled. Although they were defeated, the authorities became increasingly worried that western influence was weakening their control. Trade with the west was abandoned and Japan cut itself off from the world for over two centuries.

The sakoku or seclusion of the Edo Period (1616-1853) was a time of peace, economic growth and cultural development. The two million samurai no longer had a function in peacetime and heavy taxation was imposed by the shoguns to pay for their extravagant lifestyles. The only port which foreigners could visit was Nagasaki and a Dutch merchant settlement remained on Deshima, but by the end of the C18th, Russian and American ships were beginning to break into the Japanese seclusion.

The weakened bakufu system led to some of the junior samurai beginning to press for change and western powers began to resent the continued refusal to allow contact or to treat shipwrecked foreigners well. In 1853, the American naval commander, Matthew Galbraith Perry, arrived off Uraga with his 'black ships' to deliver a letter and insist on a proper reception. After some indecision amongst the daimyo government, Perry returned in March 1854 and signed an agreement opening some ports to the United States. Treaties with Britain and Russia followed and the government fell in 1860s. The new leaders modernized the political and economic structure and the new Meiji constitution wanted to reach equal status with the western powers.

Imperialism strengthened and there were wars with China from 1894-5, Russia from 1904-5, the annexation of Korea in 1909, the 21 demands on China in 1915, the Manchurian 'incident' of 1931, war with China in 1937 and eventually the attack on the American fleet at Pearl Harbour in December 1941. Initially the Japanese seemed undefeatable but their forces became overstretched and there was a serious defeat by the US at Okinawa. Most Japanese cities and industry had been damaged by American air raids by mid-1945 and the entry of the Soviet Union into the war against Japan, combined with the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, made it clear that victory was impossible and Emperor Hirohito made a broadcast announcing the surrender.

After the war, Japan was very poor and under Allied (mainly American) occupation until 1952 when Japan signed a treaty resigning claims to Manchuria, Korea and Formosa (Taiwan). The economy and industry recovered gradually, helped by the Korean War in 1950. There was a security treaty with the USA which led to American forces remaining in Japan to defend against possible invasions by Russia or China but after 1961, Japanese forces gained a greater part in the country's defence. Industry and exports continued to increase, helped by the hosting of the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 1964 and the trade surplus was so great that by the 1970s and 80s that the west began to suffer from the competition. Japan's standard of living rose immensely and American and European influence on people's lifestyles was very strong. Emperor Hirohito died in 1989, finally ending the era of imperialist aggression, but by the 1990s, there were some problems, including economic conflict with the west and corruption within politics.

Japanese Names

Traditionally the family name or 'myoji' comes first and the personal name or 'namae' last. Middle names are not used nowadays but up until the C19th, people might have several of these to describe their occupation or characteristics. Only noble families had surnames and only the males could pass them on but when the Meiji government came to power after the fall of the Edo Shogunate in 1853, it was decided that everybody should have one. The royal family has no family name and women marrying into it lose theirs.

The bushi or samurai families tended to use certain names for their sons and this continues today.

eldest son	Ichiro (mod.-ichi or -kazu suffix)
second son	Jiro, Chojiro (ji suffix)
third son	Saburo, Kanzaburo (zo suffix 3rd son)
fourth son	Shiro, Heishiro
fifth son	Goro, Daigoro

Common Male Name Elements

aki	be	emon	hide	hisa	ie
ji	kane	katsu	kuni	masa	mitsu
mochi	mori	mune	naga	nobu	nori
sada	sane	shige	suke	tada	taka
toki	tomo	toshi	tsugu	tsuna	uji
yasu	yori	yoshi	zo

Male

Children in the same family often share a generation name or element and it is quite common for them to share an element with a parent. The Japanese Imperial family follows this tradition, with Mutsohito, Yoshihito, Hirohito and Akihito being the personal names of the last four Emperors.

Akahito	Aki	Akihiko	Akihiro	Akihisa	Akihito
Akikazu	Akinari	Akinori	Akio	Akira	Amane
Anzai	Arata	Arinori	Aritomo	Ashihei	Atasuke
Atshushi	Atsumichi	Atsumori	Atsutane	Azumamaro	Baiko
Bairei	Bakin	Basho	Benjiro	Benkei	Bokkai
Buncho	Bunjiro	Bunrakuken	Bunzo	Bussho	Chikafusa
Chikao	Chojiro	Chomei	Chuichi	Daisetsu	Danjuro
Dayu	Denbe	Doi	Dokuohtei	Doppo	Ebizo
Eichi	Eichiro	Eien	Eiichi	Eiji	Eijiro
Eikichi	Eisaku	Eisen	Eishi	Eitoku	Eizan
Eizo	Ekiken	Ennosuke	Etsuya	Fujimaro	Fujio
Fukusaburu	Fumiaki	Fumihiko	Fumihiro	Fumimaro	Fumio
Gaho	Gekko	Gempachi	Gengyo	Genichi	Genjo
Gennai	Gennosuke	Genpaku	Gesshin	Gidayu	Gihei
Giichi	Go	Goemon	Gombei	Gonkuro	Gonnohyoe
Goro	Gyokusho	Gyukudo	Hachemon	Hachigoro	Hachiro
Hajime	Hakuseki	Hanshiro	Haranobu	Haru	Haruhiko
Haruhiro	Haruki	Harumi	Harunobu	Hayato	Heihachiro
Heiji	Heikichi	Heizo	Hideaki	Hidehira	Hidekazu
Hideki	Hidemichi	Hideo	Hidetada	Hidetora	Hidetsugu
Hideyori	Hideyoshi	Higashikuni	Hikaru	Hikosaburo	Hikozaemon
Hiro	Hiroaki	Hirobumi	Hirofumi	Hiroharu	Hirohisa
Hiroji	Hirokazu	Hirokichi	Hirokumi	Hiroshi	Hiroshige
Hirotada	Hirotaka	Hirotsugu	Hiroya	Hiroyasu	Hiroyuki
Hisahsi	Hisaki	Hisamitsu	Hisanobu	Hisashi	Hisato
Hisayuki	Hitomaro	Hitoshi	Hogai	Hoitsu	Hokichi
Hokusai	Honzo	Horiuchi	Hoshi	Hoshiko	Hyobe
Hyosuke	Hyotaru	Ichibei	Ichiro	Ichiyo	Ichizo
Iemitsu	Iemochi	Ienobu	Iesada	Ieshige	Ietsuna
Ieyasu	Ieyoshi	Ikemoto	Ikki	Ikku	Inejiro
Ippei	Isamu	Isao	Isei	Isoruko	Isoshi
Iwane	Iwao	Izo	Izumo	Jakuchu	Jin
Jinzaburo	Jiro	Jo	Joji	Josuke	Jotaro
Jou	Juichi	Jun	Junichi	Junichiro	Junji
Junnosuke	Junzo	Juro	Jurobei	Juzaburo	Juzo
Kadonomaro	Kafu	Kagehisa	Kagetoki	Kaii	Kakuei
Kakuzo	Kamatari	Kan	Kanbe	Kaneie	Kanezane
Kanjiro	Kanko	Kansuke	Kantaro	Kaoru	Kata
Katai	Katsuhiko	Katsuhito	Katsumi	Katsumoto	Katsunan
Katsunosuki	Katsuyoshi	Katsuyuki	Katzumi	Kawanari	Kaz
Kazu	Kazuhiko	Kazuhiro	Kazuki	Kazuma	Kazunari
Kazunori	Kazuo	Kazushi	Kazushige	Kazutoshi	Kazuyoshi
Kazuyuki	Kei	Keiji	Keiki	Keishi	Keisuke
Keita	Keitaro	Keizo	Ken	Kenichi	Kenji
Kenjiro	Kenkichi	Kenko	Kensaku	Kenshin	Kenzaburo
Kenzan	Kenzo	Kichibei	Kichisaburo	Kiemon	Kiichi
Kijuro	Kikaku	Kikugoro	Kikunojo	Kimi	Kiminobu
Kimitada	Kingo	Kinji	Kinmochi	Kinnojo	Kinnosuke
Kinzo	Kisho	Kitahachi	Kiyoemon	Kiyohira	Kiyohisa
Kiyomasu	Kiyomitsu	Kiyomori	Kiyonaga	Kiyonobu	Kiyonori
Kiyoshi	Kiyotaka	Koan	Kobo	Koetsu	Kohei
Koichi	Koin	Koji	Kojiro	Kojuro	Kokan
Kokei	Koki	Kokushi	Konosuke	Konoye	Konyo
Korechika	Korekiyo	Korenaga	Korin	Koryusai	Kosaku
Kosami	Koshiro	Kosho	Kotaro	Koto	Koyo
Kozue	Kuemon	Kuma?	Kumanosuke	Kuniaki	Kunihiko
Kunimatsu	Kunimichi	Kunio	Kunisada	Kunitaro	Kuniyoshi
Kuniyuki	Kyoden	Kyoichi	Kyoji	Kyoshi	Kyuichi
Kyushichi	Kyuso	Kyuwa	Mabuchi	Magobei	Magohachi
Makoto	Mamoru	Manabu	Manobu	Maresuke	Marihito
Masaaki	Masafumi	Masaharu	Masahide	Masahiko	Masahiro
Masakado	Masakazu	Masaki	Masami	Masamichi	Masanobu
Masanori	Masao	Masaru	Masashi	Masashige	Masatake
Masayoshi	Masayuki	Masazumi	Mashashi	Masu	Masuhiro
Masujiro	Masutaro	Matabei	Matashichi	Matsu	Matsudaira
Matsuo	Matsusuke	Matsuta	Matsuyo	Meiji	Michihiro
Michinaga	Michinori	Michio	Michizane	Minoru	Misao
Mito	Mitsuharu	Mitsuhide	Mitsukuni	Mitsunari	Mitsuo
Mitsuoki	Mitsuzuka	Miyazaki	Miyoko	Mobumasu	Mochihito
Mokichi	Mokuami	Momoru	Monzaemon	Morie	Morihiro
Morimasa	Moromao	Moronobu	Motoichi	Motoki	Motonobu
Motoshige	Mototsune	Motoyasu	Motoyuki	Munemitsu	Munemori
Munenori	Muneyaki	Munoto	Murai	Mushanokoji	Mutsohito
Mutsuhito	Naganori	Naizen	Nakamaro	Nakazo	Namboku
Nampo	Naoaki	Naofumi	Naohiro	Naoki	Naomi
Naomichi	Naonobu	Naosuke	Naoya	Naozane	Narahiko
Nariaki	Nariakira	Narihari	Narihira	Naruhiko	Natsu
Natsume	Natsuo	Nichiren	Ninsei	Niou?	Nissho
Noboru	Nobuatsu	Nobuharu	Nobuhiko	Nobuhisa	Nobuhito
Nobukazu	Nobuo	Noburo	Nobusuke	Nobuyoki	Nobuyori
Nobuyoshi	Nori	Noriaki	Norihide	Norihisa	Norinaga
Norio	Norishige	Noritada	Noritoshi	Noriyori	Noriyuki
Norogumi	Oda	Ogai	Okakura	Okitsugu	Okura
Okyoito	Omezo	Oniji	Orinosuke	Osamu	Otojiro
Razan	Reijiro	Rikiya	Rikyu	Rintaro	Robun
Rosanjin	Ryo	Ryobe	Ryoichi	Ryoko	Ryoma
Ryosei	Ryozo	Ryu	Ryuichi	Ryunosuke	Ryushi
Ryutaro	Ryuzaburo	Saburo	Sachi	Sadaharu	Sadahige
Sadakuno	Sadanobu	Sadao	Sadatake	Sadayoshi	Saemon
Saikaku	Saionji	Sakutaro	Samba	Saneatsu	Sanetomo
Sanjiro	Sanjuro	Sanraku	Sanzo	Satoru	Satoshi
Sawao	Seibei	Seiesnsui	Seiho	Seiichi	Seiji
Seika	Seiki	Seinosuke	Seiryo	Seishiro	Seishisai
Seisi	Seison	Seitaro	Sekien	Sen	Senichi
Senzo	Sessue	Settan	Sharaku	Shiba	Shichirobei
Shigeaki	Shigekazu	Shigeki	Shigeko	Shigemasa	Shigematsu
Shigemori	Shigenaga	Shigenobu	Shigeru	Shigetaka	Shigetoki
Shigochiyo	Shihei	Shihi	Shiki	Shiko	Shimei
Shimpei	Shingen	Shinichi	Shinji	Shinkichi	Shino
Shinobu	Shinsaku	Shinsui	Shintaro	Shinzo	Shirai
Shirosama	Shizue	Sho	Shogo	Shohei	Shoichi
Shoin	Shoji	Shojiro	Shoko	Shoraku	Shosuke
Shotaro	Shoyo	Shozo	Shuichi	Shuji	Shukishi
Shuko	Shumei	Shumkichi	Shun	Shun'en	Shuncho
Shungyosai	Shunichi	Shunji	Shunko	Shunmyo	Shunsen
Shunsho	Shunso	Shunsuke	Shusaku	Shusui	Shuzo
Soetsu	Sofu	Soh	Soichiro	Sojuro	Sorai
Sosa	Soseki	Soshitsu	Soshu	Sosuke	Sotan
Sotaro	Sotatsu	Sozen	Sozui	Ssekien	Subaru
Suezo	Sugimoto	Sugita	Sukejuro	Sukenobu	Suketsune
Sukeyasu	Sumio	Sumiteru	Sumitomo	Susumu	Tabito
Tadahisa	Tadakuni	Tadamasa	Tadamichi	Tadanobu	Tadao
Tadashi	Tadasu	Tadasuke	Tadataka	Tadayoshi	Tadayuki
Tadiyuki	Tagashashi	Taheiji	Taikan	Taisho	Taisuke
Taizo	Takaaki	Takafumi	Takahashi	Takahiro	Takakazu
Takamasa	Takamori	Takamuku	Takanibu	Takanobu	Takanori
Takao	Takashi	Takauji	Takayuki	Takechi	Takehide
Takeichi	Takeji	Takejiro	Takenao	Takeo	Takeru
Takeshi	Takesi	Taki	Takiji	Takuboku	Takuji
Takuma	Takuro	Takuya	Tamasaburo	Tameyoshi	Tamotsu
Tamuramaro	Tango	Tanosuke	Tanyu	Tanzan	Taro
Taroemon	Tashiaki	Tashiro	Tasuku	Tatsui	Tatsukichi
Tatsuya	Tatsuzo	Taysuke	Teika	Teinosuke	Tekkan
Tenshin	Terao	Teriuihi	Terumoto	Teruo	Tessai
Tetsu	Tetsuhiko	Tetsui	Tetsunori	Tetsuo	Tetsuya
Tetsuyuki	Tetsuzan	Thoki	Tobei	Togai	Tohaku
Toichi	Toin	Toju	Tokaji	Toki	Tokichiro
Tokimasa	Tokimune	Tokugawa	Tokuhei	Tokuma	Tokutomi
Tomiichi	Tomiji	Tomoaki	Tomohiko	Tomokazu	Tomomi
Tomoyuki	Ton	Torajiro	Torazo	Toru	Toshiaki
Toshiharu	Toshikasu	Toshikazu	Toshiki	Toshikuni	Toshimichi
Toshinobu	Toshio	Toshiro	Toshitsugu	Toshiyuki	Toson
Totoya	Toyoaki	Toyoharu	Toyokazu	Toyokuni	Toyonobu
Toyoshige	Toyotomi	Toyozo	Tsugahara	Tsugiharu	Tsuginori
Tsugumichi	Tsukasa	Tsumemasa	Tsunayoshi	Tsuneari	Tsuneo
Tsunesaburo	Tsuneyo	Tsuramatsu	Tsurayaki	Tsurayuki	Tsuruki
Tsutomu	Tsuyoshi	Ukyo	Unkei	Utaemon	Utamara
Utamaro	Utamuro	Utemaro	Waotaka	Washi	Washichi
Yachi	Yaichiro	Yajirobei	Yakamochi	Yakumo	Yamato
Yasotaro	Yasuhide	Yasuhiko	Yasuhiro	Yasujiro	Yasukazu
Yasunari	Yasunobu	Yasuo	Yasuoka	Yasushi	Yasutake
Yasutoki	Yasuyuki	Yataro	Yatsuhiro	Yeijiro	Yo
Yodo	Yohachi	Yoichi	Yoichibei	Yoriie	Yorikane
Yoringa	Yoritoki	Yoritomo	Yoriyoshi	Yoriyuki	Yosai
Yoshi	Yoshiaga	Yoshiaki	Yoshida	Yoshifumi	Yoshifusa
Yoshihide	Yoshihiro	Yoshihisa	Yoshihito	Yoshii	Yoshiiku
Yoshikazu	Yoshiki	Yoshimasa	Yoshimatsu	Yoshimi	Yoshimitsu
Yoshimochi	Yoshimune	Yoshinaka	Yoshino	Yoshinobu	Yoshinori
Yoshio	Yoshisada	Yoshitaka	Yoshitake	Yoshiteru	Yoshitoki
Yoshitomo	Yoshitora	Yoshitoshi	Yoshitsune	Yoshiyuki	Yoson
Yosuke	Yugoro	Yuichi	Yuji	Yujiro	Yuki
Yukichi	Yukinaga	Yukio	Yuko	Yunosuke	Yushiro
Yusuke	Yutaka	Zenko	Zeshin

Female

Common elements are popular within families, one of the most frequently occurring being the ending '-ko' or 'child' added to another word. Hence 'Yukiko' or 'Snow-child', although Yuki can be a separate name. Other suffixes include -mi, beauty and -hime, princess. The wife of a bushi usually added -gozen to her name. When her husband died, she would usually become a nun and add the suffix -in instead (Hoshun-in, Koudai-in).

Ai love	Ayame flag flower	Hitomi eye	Izumi fountain
Jun pure	Mai dance	Megumi charity	Nozomi hope
Sakura cherry	Shinobu perseverance	Yayoi March	Yuri lily

Ai	Aiko	Akane	Akemi	Aki	Akiko
Akuro	Ami	Arisa	Asako	Asami	Atsuko
Aya	Ayako	Ayame	Ayano	Chiaki	Chie
Chieko	Chika	Chikako	Chikuma	Chinatsu	Chisato
Chitose	Chiyeko	Chiyo	Echiko	Eiko	Ema
Emi	Emiko	Eri	Eriko	Etsuko	Euiko
Fujiko	Fumi	Fumie	Fumiki	Fumiko	Fumiyo
Fusae	Fuyuko	Gemmei	Ginko	Hama	Hana
Hanae	Hanako	Haniko	Harukichi	Haruko	Harumi
Hatsue	Hatsuyo	Hideko	Hikaru	Hiroe	Hiroko
Hiromi	Hiroshi	Hisa	Hisae	Hisako	Hitomi
Hitomo	Hitoshi	Honami	Hoshi	Hoshie	Hoshiko
Hoshiyo	Ichi	Iku	Ikue	Ikuko	Ikuyo
Inoue	Isako	Ise	Itsuko	Izumi	Joruri
Jun	Junko	Juri	Kadiri	Kaede	Kahori
Kameko	Kaneko	Kaori	Kaoru	Kasuga	Katsue
Katsuko	Katsumi	Kayoko	Kazue	Kazuko	Kazumi
Keiko	Kichi	Kiko	Kimie	Kimiko	Kin
Kinuko	Kinuye	Kinuyo	Kioko	Kishi	Kit
Kita	Kiyo	Kiyoko	Kiyomi	Kochiyo	Koi
Koiso	Koken	Komachi	Kumi	Kumiko	Kunie
Kuniko	Kyoko	Machi	Machiko	Madoka	Mae
Maeko	Maemi	Mai	Maiko	Maki	Makiko
Mako	Mami	Mamiko	Man	Mana	Manami
Mari	Mariko	Maru	Masae	Masako	Masami
Masumi	Matsu	Maya	Mayako	Mayo	Mayoko
Mayu	Mayuko	Mayumi	Megu	Megumi	Michi
Michiko	Midori	Mieko	Miho	Mihoko	Miiko
Miki	Miliko	Mina	Minako	Mineko	Mino
Mio	Misa	Misako	Misato	Mitsu	Mitsuko
Mitsuyo	Miwako	Miya	Miyako	Miyo	Miyoko
Miyoshi	Mizuki	Momoko	Mutsuko	Mutsumi	Naho
Nahoko	Nami	Namie	Namika	Namiko	Namiyo
Nana	Nanako	Nanami	Nao	Naoko	Naomi
Naora	Nari	Nariko	Narumi	Natsuko	Natsumi
Nayoko	Nene	Nomi	Nori	Norie	Noriko
Nozomi	Nyoko	Ochiyo	Oharu	Oki	Okichi
Okiku	Omitsu	Otsu	Otsune	Raicho	Raku
Rei	Reiko	Remi	Rie	Rieko	Rika
Rikako	Rina	Rinako	Risa	Risako	Ritsuko
Romi	Rui	Rumiko	Ruri	Ruriko	Ryo
Ryoko	Sachi	Sachiko	Sadako	Sae	Saeko
Saito	Sakamae	Saki	Sakiko	Sakue	Sakuko
Sakura	Sakurako	Sakuro	Sama	Sanako	Saori
Sata	Satoko	Satomi	Sawako	Saya	Sayo
Sayoko	Sayuri	Sei	Seiko	Seka	Seki
Sen	Setsuko	Shige	Shinobu	Shioko	Shiori
Shizu	Shizue	Shizuka	Shoken	Shoko	Sué
Sui	Suko	Sumi	Sumie	Sumiko	Suzue
Suzuko	Tadako	Tae	Tai	Takako	Tama
Tamafune	Tamaki	Tamami	Tamiko	Tamiyo	Taniko
Tansho	Tara	Teruyo	Tokie	Tokiko	Tokiyo
Toku	Tomi	Tomiko	Tomoe	Tomoko	Tomomi
Toshie	Toshiko	Toyoko	Tsuki	Tsukiyama	Tsuya
Ume	Umeka	Umeko	Urako	Utako	Wazuka
Yae	Yaeko	Yasu	Yasuko	Yayoi	Yodo
Yoko	Yori	Yoriko	Yoshi	Yoshike	Yoshiko
Yu	Yui	Yuka	Yukako	Yukari	Yuki
Yukiko	Yukiyo	Yuko	Yuma	Yumako	Yumi
Yumiko	Yuri	Yuriko	Yusuke	Yutsuko	Yuya

These names were those of famous ladies and courtesans depicted by ukiyo-e artists.

Hanamurasaki	Hanogi	Hotoke	Kampei	Kaoyo
Kenbai	Kensei	Kisakata	Kisegawa	Komachi
Komurasaki	Konami	Nanasato	Naniwaza	Ohan
Okinu	Okita	Okuni	Osei	Oyasu
Roko	Shikibu	Somenosuke	Suminoto	Takao
Tonase	Toyohina	Tsubone	Ukifune	Utagawa

Surnames

Western customs have been widely adopted in Japanese dealings abroad and these include the traditional order in which names are written. In Japan the surname should come first, despite the regular use of the Western style. Most surnames consist of two kanji characters.

Abe	Abukara	Adachi	Aida	Aihara	Aizawa
Ajibana	Akaike	Akamatsu	Akatsuka	Akechi	Akera
Akimoto	Akutagawa	Amagawa	Amaya	Amori	Anami
Ando	Anzai	Aoki	Arai	Arakawa	Araki
Arakida	Arato	Arihyoshi	Arishima	Arita	Ariwa
Ariwara	Asahara	Asahi	Asai	Asano	Asanuma
Asari	Ashia	Ashida	Ashikaga	Asuhara	Atshushi
Ayabito	Baba	Baisotei	Bando	Bunya	Chiba
Chikamatsu	Chikanatsu	Chino	Chishu	Choshi	Daishi
Dan	Date	Dazai	Deguchi	Deushi	Doi
Ebina	Ebisawa	Eda	Egami	Eguchi	Ekiguchi
Endo	Endoso	Enoki	Enomoto	Erizawa	Eto
Etsuko	Ezakiya	Fuchida	Fugunaga	Fujikage	Fujimaki
Fujimoto	Fujishima	Fujita	Fujiwara	Fukao	Fukuda
Fukumitsu	Fukunaka	Fukuoka	Fukusaku	Fukushima	Fukuyama
Fukuzawa	Fumihiko	Funabashi	Funaki	Funakoshi	Furusawa
Fuschida	Fuse	Futabatei	Fuwa	Gakusha	Genda
Genji	Gensai	Godo	Goto	Gushiken	Hachirobei
Haga	Hagino	Hagiwara	Hama	Hamacho	Hamada
Hamaguchi	Hamamoto	Hanabusa	Hanari	Handa	Hara
Harada	Haruguchi	Hasegawa	Hashimoto	Hatakeda	Hatakeyama
Hatayama	Hatoyama	Hattori	Hayakawa	Hayami	Hayashi
Hayashida	Hayata	Hayuata	Hida	Hideaki	Hideki
Hideyoshi	Higashikuni	Higashiyama	Higo	Higoshi	Higuchi
Hike	Hino	Hira	Hiraga	Hiraki	Hirano
Hiranuma	Hiraoka	Hirase	Hirata	Hiratasuka	Hirayama
Hiro	Hirose	Hirota	Hiroyuki	Hisamatsu	Hishida
Hishikawa	Hitomi	Hiyama	Hojo	Hokusai	Honami
Honda	Hori	Horigome	Horigoshi	Horiuchi	Horri
Hoshino	Hosokawa	Hosokaya	Hotate	Hotta	Hyata?
Hyobanshi	Ibuka	Ichigawa	Ichihara	Ichikawa	Ichimonji
Ichiro	Ichisada	Ichiyusai	Idane	Iemochi	Ienari
Iesada	Ieyasu	Ieyoshi	Igarashi	Ihara	Ii
Iida	Iijima	Iitaka	Ijichi	Ijiri	Ikeda
Ikina	Ikoma	Imada	Imagawa	Imaizumi	Imamura
Imoo	Ina	Inaba	Inao	Inihara	Ino
Inoguchi	Inokuma	Inoue	Inouye	Inukai	Ippitsusai
Irie	Iriye	Isayama	Ise	Iseki	Iseya
Ishibashi	Ishida	Ishiguro	Ishihara	Ishikawa	Ishimaru
Ishimura	Ishinomori	Ishiyama	Isobe	Isoda	Isozaki
Itagaki	Itami	Ito	Itoh	Iwahara	Iwahashi
Iwakura	Iwasa	Iwasaki	Izumi	Jimbo	Jippensha
Joshuya	Joshuyo	Jukodo	Jumonji	Kada	Kagabu
Kagawa	Kahaya	Kaibara	Kaima	Kajahara	Kajitani
Kajiwara	Kajiyama	Kakinomoto	Kakutama	Kamachi	Kamata
Kaminaga	Kamio	Kamioka	Kamisaka	Kamo	Kamon
Kanada	Kanagaki	Kanegawa	Kaneko	Kanesaka	Kano
Karamorita	Karube	Karubo	Kasahara	Kasai	Kasamatsu
Kasaya	Kase	Kashiwagi	Kasuse	Kataoka	Katayama
Katayanagi	Kate	Kato	Katoaka	Katsu	Katsukawa
Katsumata	Katsura	Katsushika	Kawabata	Kawachi	Kawagichi
Kawagishi	Kawaguchi	Kawai	Kawaii	Kawakami	Kawamata
Kawamura	Kawasaki	Kawasawa	Kawashima	Kawasie	Kawatake
Kawate	Kawayama	Kawazu	Kaza	Kenkyusha	Kenmotsu
Kentaro	Ki	Kido	Kihara	Kijimuta	Kijmuta
Kikkawa	Kikuchi	Kikugawa	Kikui	Kikutake	Kimio
Kimiyama	Kimura	Kinashita	Kinoshita	Kinugasa	Kira
Kishi	Kiski	Kita	Kitabatake	Kitagawa	Kitamura
Kitano	Kitao	Kitoaji	Ko	Kobayashi	Kobi
Kodama	Koga	Kogara	Kogo	Koguchi	Koiso
Koizumi	Kojima	Kokan	Komagata	Komatsu	Komatsuzaki
Komine	Komiya	Komon	Kon	Konae	Konda
Kondo	Konishi	Kono	Konoe	Koruba	Koshin
Kotara	Kotoku	Koyama	Koyanagi	Kozu	Kubota
Kudara	Kudo	Kuga	Kumagae	Kumasaka	Kunda
Kunikida	Kunisada	Kuno	Kunomasu	Kuramochi	Kuramoto
Kurata	Kurkawa	Kurmochi	Kuroda	Kurofuji	Kurogane
Kurohiko	Kuroki	Kurosawa	Kurusu	Kusatsu	Kusonoki
Kusunoki	Kuwabara	Kwakami	Kyubei	Maeda	Maehata
Maeno	Maita	Makiguchi	Makino	Makioka	Makuda
Marubeni	Marugo	Marusa	Maruya	Maruyama	Masanobu
Masaoka	Mashita	Masoni	Masudu	Masuko	Masuno
Masuzoe	Matano	Matokai	Matoke	Matsuda	Matsukata
Matsumara	Matsumoto	Matsumura	Matsuo	Matsuoka	Matsura
Matsushina	Matsushita	Matsuya	Matsuzawa	Mayuzumi	Mazaki
Mazawa	Mazuka	Mifune	Mihashi	Miki	Mimasuya
Minabuchi	Minami	Minamoto	Minatoya	Minobe	Mishima
Mitsubishi	Mitsuharu	Mitsui	Mitsukuri	Mitsuwa	Mitsuya
Mitzusaka	Miura	Miwa	Miyagi	Miyahara	Miyajima
Miyake	Miyamae	Miyamoto	Miyazaki	Miyazawa	Miyoshi
Mizoguchi	Mizumaki	Mizuno	Mizutani	Modegi	Momotami
Momotani	Monomonoi	Mori	Moriguchi	Morimoto	Morioka
Morishita	Morisue	Morita	Morri	Moto	Motoori
Motoyoshi	Munakata	Munkata	Muraguchi	Murakami	Muraoka
Murasaki	Murase	Murata	Muro	Muruyama	Mushanaokoji
Mushashibo	Muso	Mutsu	Nagahama	Nagai	Nagano
Nagasawa	Nagase	Nagata	Nagatsuka	Nagumo	Naito
Nakada	Nakadai	Nakadan	Nakae	Nakagawa	Nakahara
Nakajima	Nakamoto	Nakamura	Nakane	Nakano	Nakanoi
Nakao	Nakasato	Nakasone	Nakata	Nakatoni	Nakayama
Nakazawa	Namiki	Narato	Narita	Nataga	Natsume
Nawabe	Nemoto	Niijima	Nijo	Ninomiya	Nishi
Nishihara	Nishikawa	Nishimoto	Nishimura	Nishimuraya	Nishio
Nishiwaki	Nitta	Nobunaga	Noda	Nogi	Noguchi
Nogushi	Nomura	Nonomura	Noro	Nosaka	Nose
Nozaki	Nozara	Numajiri	Numata	Ochiai	Ochida
Odaka	Ogata	Ogiwara	Ogura	Ogyu	Ohba
Ohira	Ohishi	Ohka	Ohmae	Ohmiya	Oichi
Oinuma	Oishi	Okabe	Okada	Okakura	Okamoto
Okamura	Okanao	Okanaya	Okano	Okasawa	Okawa
Okazaki	Okazawaya	Okimasa	Okimoto	Okita	Okubo
Okuda	Okui	Okuma	Okuma	Okumura	Okura
Omori	Onishi	Ono	Onoda	Onoe	Onohara
Ooka	Osagawa	Osaragi	Oshima	Oshin	Ota
Otaka	Otake	Otani	Otomo	Otsu	Otsuka
Ouchi	Oyama	Ozaki	Ozawa	Ozu	Raikatuji
Royama	Ryusaki	Sada	Saeki	Saga	Saigo
Saiki	Saionji	Saito	Saitoh	Saji	Sakagami
Sakai	Sakakibara	Sakamoto	Sakanoue	Sakata	Sakiyurai
Sakoda	Sakubara	Sakuraba	Sakurai	Sammiya	Sanda
Sanjo	Sano	Santo	Saromi	Sarumara	Sasakawa
Sasaki	Sassa	Satake	Sato	Satoh	Satoya
Sawamatsu	Sawamura	Sayuki	Segawa	Sekigawa	Sekine
Sekozawa	Sen	Seo	Serizawa	Shiba	Shibaguchi
Shibanuma	Shibasaki	Shibasawa	Shibata	Shibukji	Shichirobei
Shidehara	Shiga	Shiganori	Shige	Shigeki	Shigemitsu
Shigi	Shikitei	Shikuk	Shima	Shimada	Shimakage
Shimamura	Shimanouchi	Shimaoka	Shimazaki	Shimazu	Shimedzu
Shimizu	Shimohira	Shimura	Shinko	Shinozaki	Shinozuka
Shintaro	Shiokawa	Shiomi	Shionoya	Shiotani	Shioya
Shirahata	Shirai	Shirane	Shirasu	Shiratori	Shirokawa
Shiroyama	Shiskikura	Shizuma	Shobo	Shoda	Shunji
Shunsen	Siagyo	Soga	Sohda	Soho	Someya
Sone	Sonoda	Soseki	Sotomura	Suenami	Sugai
Sugase	Sugawara	Sugihara	Sugimura	Sugisata	Sugita
Sugitani	Sugiyama	Sumitimo	Sunada	Suzambo	Suzuki
Tabuchi	Tadeshi	Tagawa	Taguchi	Taira	Taka
Takabe	Takagaki	Takagawa	Takagi	Takahama	Takahashi
Takamura	Takano	Takaoka	Takara	Takarabe	Takashi
Takashita	Takasugi	Takeda	Takei	Takekawa	Takemago
Takemitsu	Takemura	Takenouchi	Takeshita	Taketomo	Takeuchi
Takewaki	Takimoto	Takishida	Takizawa	Taku	Takudo
Takudome	Tamura	Tamuro	Tanaka	Tange	Tani
Taniguchi	Tanizaki	Tankoshitsu	Tansho	Tanuma	Tarumi
Tatenaka	Tatsuno	Tatsuya	Tawaraya	Tayama	Temko
Tenshin	Terada	Terajima	Terakado	Terauchi	Teshigahara
Teshima	Tochikura	Togo	Tojo	Tokaji	Tokuda
Tokudome	Tokuoka	Tomika	Tomimoto	Tomioka	Tommii
Tomonaga	Tomori	Tono	Torii	Torisei	Toru
Toshishai	Toshusai	Toyama	Toyoda	Toyoshima	Toyota
Toyotomi	Tsubouchi	Tsucgimoto	Tsuchie	Tsuda	Tsuji
Tsujimoto	Tsujimura	Tsukada	Tsukade	Tsukahara	Tsukamoto
Tsukatani	Tsukawaki	Tsukehara	Tsukioka	Tsumemasa	Tsunoda
Tsurimi	Tsuruga	Tsuruya	Tsushima	Tsutaya	Tsutomu
Uboshita	Uchida	Uchiyama	Ueda	Uehara	Uemura
Ueshima	Uesugi	Uetake	Ugaki	Ui	Ukiyo
Umari	Umehara	Umeki	Uno	Uoya	Urogataya
Usami	Ushiba	Utagawa	Wakai	Wakatsuki	Watabe
Watanabe	Watnabe	Watoga	Yakuta	Yamabe	Yamada
Yamagata	Yamaguchi	Yamaguchiya	Yamaha	Yamahata	Yamakage
Yamakawa	Yamakazi	Yamamoto	Yamamura	Yamana	Yamanaka
Yamanouchi	Yamanoue	Yamaoka	Yamashita	Yamato	Yamawaki
Yamazaki	Yamhata	Yamura	Yanagawa	Yanagi	Yanagimoto
Yanagita	Yano	Yasuda	Yasuhiro	Yasui	Yasujiro
Yasukawa	Yasutake	Yoemon	Yokokawa	Yokoyama	Yonai
Yosano	Yoshida	Yoshifumi	Yoshihara	Yoshikawa	Yoshinobu
Yoshioka	Yoshitomi	Yoshizaki	Yoshizawa	Yuasa	Yuhara
Yunokawa

Common Surname Elements

aka red	ao blue	asa shallow	fuka deep
hashi/bashi bridge	hata/bata cropfield	hayashi/bayashi wood	higashi east
ike pond	ishi stone	ita board	iwa rock
kawa river	ki tree	kita north	kiyo pure
kuro black	mae front	matsu pinewood	minami south
mizu water	mori forest	moto near	mura village
naka in	nishi west	no plain	numa marsh
oka hill	saka slope	saki/zaki cape/edge	sawa/zawa stream
shima/jima island	shita/shimo lower	sugi cedar	ta/da ricefield
take bamboo	tani valley	tsuka below	uchi in
ue/kami upper	yama mountain	yoko side	yone rice

Noble Families

Gosetsuke (top five)

Konoe

Takashi

Kujo

Ichijo

Gojo

Aburakoji	Anenokoji	Asukai	Daigo	Hirohata	Imaidegawa
Inokuma	Jimyoin	Kajuji	Kaoin	Karasuma	Kawashi
Konjo	Kuga	Masachika	Matsuki	Minase	Nakayama
Nanba	Nomiya	Oimikado	Rakujochigusa	Reizei	Saioji
Sanjo	Shigenoi	Shijo	Shimizudani	Tokudaiji	Washio
Yamashina

Bushi or samurai families

Asai	Askikaga	Chosokabe	Date	Fukushima	Genji
Hachisuka	Hattori	Heike	Hojo	Honda	Hosokawa
Ishida	Kaga	Kato	Kuki	Kuroda	Maeda
Matsudaira	Miyamoto	Mori	Murakami	Oda	Okamoto
Okubo	Ooka	Saito	Shibata	Shimazu	Suwa
Takeda	Takigawa	Tanuma	Tokugawa	Ukita	Watanabe

Religion

Shinto

The Shinto religion is native to Japan. There are various myths concerning the creation and early history of Japan but these are not as clearly detailed as those of other polytheistic societies such as Greece or Rome. They begin with the creation of many minor gods. With a jewelled spear given to them by other gods, the twin deities Izanagi and Izanami created the island of Onogoro. They then gave birth to the islands of Japan and afterwards to other gods. Izanami died giving birth to the fire god and Izanagi could not bring her back from the demons. Izanagi purified himself by washing in a stream and produced new deities from the clothes he took off and from his body. There are many legends concerning these offspring, especially Susano-o who was banished from heaven after pulling down the walls of his sister Amaterasu's paddy fields and breaking into her palace. The semi-legendary first Emperor, Jimmu Tenno, was descended from Susano-o through his grandson O-kuni-Nushi-no-Mikoto. The gods did not have images and many of the shrines still in existence are dedicated to later deities. Many Shinto gods came to be treated as images of the Buddha.

Gods

Name	Attributes	Family
Izanagi	'male who invites'	gave birth to deities
Izanami	'female who invites'	gave birth to islands of Japan
Susano-o-no-Mikoto	sea, storms	born from nostril of Izanagi
Amaterasu-omikami-no-Mikoto	sun goddess	born from eye of Izanagi
O-kuni-Nushi-no-Mikoto	rice	grandson of Susano-o
Ninigi-no-Mikoto		grandson of Amaterasu great-grandfather of Jimmu
Ugayafukiaezu		father of Jimmu
Kamu-Yamato-Ihare-Biko		The first Emperor, Jimmu
Aridoshi
Kannon	horse-headed
Hachiman	warrior
Inari	rice
Ukemochi-no-Kami	rice
Kobo Daishi
Kenkyusha
Benten	water goddess

Yasukuni (country in peace) a shrine for those who died for the Emperor

Buddhism

The teachings of the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama or Sakyamuni (Shaka or Shaka-sama in Japan) were adapted and combined with Confucianism. There was some initial conflict with followers of Shinto when Buddhism arrived in the C6th but a dual form of the two religions was adopted which lasted until the Meiji restoration of 1868. The Mahayana or 'greater vehicle' form of Buddhism practised in Japan developed a pantheon of lesser Buddhas and Bodhisattvas (Bosatsu in Japanese).

Scripts

There was no written form of Japanese until the Chinese system was adopted.

Kanji

This has over 10,000 characters of which over 2000 can be used for personal names so many combinations are possible but in reality, only about 6500 are commonly used. It originated in China in the Kwan dynasty (BC 202-AD 220) and is derived from older Chinese characters.

Hiragana

This is the old Japanese alphabet of 46 letters which each represent a sound. It dates back to the Heian era (785-1185). Originally, it was never used in conjunction with Kanji or Katakana but this can be done in modern Japanese. Only women use these letters for their names.

Katakana

These letters are partially derived from Kanji and were used with it to help show how it was pronounced in Japanese in the Meiji era. Nowadays, foreign words are often written in katakana.

Romaji

This is the system of Romanization or conversion into western script. The spelling of a word in English usually reflects its pronunciation in Japanese.

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This collection of names compiled by Kate Monk. Copyright January 1997, Kate Monk. Last updated February, 98. Copies may be made for personal use only.