Surnames are a relatively modern aspect of Japanese culture. Prior to the Meiji Restoration, a political revolution that lasted from 1868 to 1889, surnames were only used by the aristocracy of Japan.[3] Affluent commoners could pay for permission to bear a surname, but this was limited to use in their local communities and were not permitted for official use.
In 1870, the laws of Japan changed to allow commoners to take a surname. Shortly after, in 1873, a new law made it mandatory for all citizens of Japan, regardless of their social or economic status, to have a surname.[4] Because many Japanese didn’t have surnames that were passed down through generations, families either came up with a surname themselves or asked a priest to assign one to them.
Research estimates that 89.5% of family names originated from the name of places or natural elements where the family lived.[5] For example, many people who lived in Western Japan took the surname of their local prefecture, Yamaguchi. Others looked to nature and chose family names that represented the landscape or geographical features around them such as forests, trees, and mountains. Many of these geographic names were combined with an attribute, for example in names such as Kobayashi (which means “small forest”) and Matsuyama (which means “pine mountain”). Since rice agriculture is a critical element of Japan’s history, it was common for many family names to include a reference to rice or rice paddies.
Surnames were also derived from the profession of the head of the family. Names like Watanabe (which includes the character for “crossing”) were commonly used for people who worked as boatmen that provided ferry services between islands and across waterways. Another example of a profession-related name is Hattori (which includes the character for “clothes”) for weavers.
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