city names

[John A Stuart]

Hello All, Does anyone know where I can get a book that lists the modern names of towns and villages in Japan with their old names, the meaning of those names and the new and old kanji for them. Thanks, John

[Rich S]

I think (?) the front of the old Hawley's (big brown book) has something

like that.

 

Rich S

[Stephen]

This may not be what you need but it gave me something to do on the first day of the new year, my workout center is closed for some silly reason so here we are.

 

A Prosperous NEW YEAR TO ALL.

[John A Stuart]

Hi Stephen, Thanks. Those lists are great and I have filed them. I hope to extend them if they are available. For example, to include name origin, such as what does Gifu mean and how did it get that name. Happy New Years to everyone as well. John

[Ed]

John,

There is a book by the name of: Historical and Geographical Dictionary of Japan by Edmond Papinot . It is a reprint of the original from the early 1900's.

 

While not related to nihonto, it does list towns, prefectures etc., along with the kanji. It's historical information is worth having.

[John A Stuart]

Hi Ed, Thanks, that sounds interesting. I'll see if amazon or alibris has it. John

[Guido]

Does anyone know where I can get a book that lists the modern names of towns and villages in Japan with their old names, the meaning of those names and the new and old kanji for them.

The Nihontô Meikan has a list exactly like that - well, except for the meaning of the town names, which would be quite a research project by itself. No offense intended, but it's not exactly like in the US where even your grandpa might remember the first homesteads in your town, and how the settlement later was named ...

 

Anyhow, this reminds me of when I lived in NY, and coming brack from a trip to the Southwest told my bank teller how impressed I was by the Grand Canyon. He said "you Europeans are always so proud of your 1,000 year old cathedrals and castles, but do you have something like *that* over there?"

[John A Stuart]

Hi All, Probably an amazing amount of work even if the info can be retrieved from the mists of time. I've run into it occasionally within the text of other docs. What had made me wonder was that on another forum a fellow had started posting just that for the Tokyo area. I found it very interesting. I share it now for those interested. John

 

Ueno

 

There was a mansion of Todo Takatora.

His territory was Iga-Ueno han.(Current Ueno-city, Mie prefecture)

Ueno was named after his home town.

 

Ryogoku

 

Named after Ryogoku bridge.

Ryogoku bridge connect Musashi no kuni and Shimousa no kuni.

Sumida river was the border.

Ryogoku means both kuni(countries

 

Kioi-cho

 

There were mansions of

KIshu Tokugawa clan

Owari Tokugawa clan

Ii clan.

 

Ginza

 

There was a silver coin foundry.

Gin means silver.

 

Shinjuku

 

Shin means new, juku(shuku) means like station.

In 1698, New station town was built there.

It used to be called Naito Shinjuku because there was Naito clan's mansion(Shinshu, Takato-han).

Current Shinjuku Gyoen Park was where the mansion was.

 

Hyakunin-cho

 

Hyakunin means 100 people, cho means town.

Edo Bakufu formed arquebus corps to guard Bakufu.

The corps were named Hyakuningumi.

Hyakunin-cho was where Iga-Hyakuningumi lived.

 

Hanzoumon is so named because it used to be the location of the gate to Hattori Hanzou's estates.

 

 

Roppongi

 

Roppongi means 6 trees.

There were 6 clans' mansions.

Their names are all related to tree.

Aoki

Ichiyanagi

Uesugi

Katagiri

Kutsuki

Takagi

 

Yuraku-cho

 

There used to be the residence of Oda Nobunaga's brothern Oda Nagamasu.

His another name was "Oda Urakusai" 有楽斎

Uraku and Yuraku are same letters.

 

He was founder of Uraku Ryu Tea ceremony.