Japanese names are used in Japan and in Japanese communities throughout the world. Note that depending on the Japanese characters used these names can have many other meanings besides those listed here. See also about Japanese names.
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Aibetsu(Mountain)Japanese Mount Aibetsu is among the Daisetsuzan Volcanic Group in Hokkaido Prefecture.
Aichi愛知(Political Subdivision)Japanese Means "knowledge of love" in Japanese.
Aikawa愛川, 合川, 相川, アイカワ(Settlement)Japanese This is the name of several towns in Japan. The first one (愛川) is located in Kanagawa Prefecture in eastern Japan, the second one (合川), located in Akita Prefecture in northern Japan, was merged with other towns to form the city of Kitaakita... [more]
Akihabara秋葉原(Other)Japanese From Japanese 秋 (aki) meaning "autumn", 葉 (ha) meaning "leaf" and 原 (hara) meaning "meadow, field, plain".
Akishima(Settlement)Japanese This is a city in Tokyo prefecture, meaning "bright island".
Akita秋田, あきた(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Japanese From Japanese 秋 (aki) meaning "autumn" and 田 (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy". This is the name of a city in Japan, as well as the prefecture in which the city is located.
Aoba青葉(Political Subdivision)Japanese From Japanese 青 (ao) meaning "blue, green" and 葉 (ha) meaning "leaf".
Aomori青森, あおもり(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Japanese From Japanese 青 (ao) meaning "green, blue" and 森 (mori) meaning "forest". This is the name of a city in Japan, as well as the prefecture in which the city is located.
Chiba千葉, ちば(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Japanese From Japanese 千 (chi) meaning "thousand" and 葉 (ha) meaning "leaf". This is the name of a city in Japan, as well as the prefecture in which the city is located.
Chubetsu(Mountain)Japanese Chubetsu-dake (or Mount Chubetsu in English) is apart of the Daisetsuzan National Park in Hokkaido.
Fuji富士, フジ(Mountain)Japanese, English The name of a mountain (a symbol for the Japanese for centuries), known in Japanese as Fuji-san or Fujiyama (富士山), located on the boundaries of Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures in central Japan... [more]
Fukui福井, ふくい(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Japanese From Japanese 福 (fuku) meaning "happiness, good fortune, blessing" and 井 (i) meaning "well, mine shaft, pit". This is the name of a city in Japan, as well as the prefecture in which the city is located.
Fukuoka福岡, ふくおか(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Japanese From Japanese 福 (fuku) meaning "happiness, good fortune, blessing" and 岡 (oka) meaning "hill, ridge". This is the name of a city in Japan, as well as the prefecture in which the city is located.
Fukushima福島, ふくしま(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Japanese From Japanese 福 (fuku) meaning "happiness, good fortune, blessing" and 島 (shima) meaning "island". This is the name of a city in Japan, as well as the prefecture in which the city is located.
Funabashi船橋, ふなばし(Settlement)Japanese Means either "bridge on a ship" or "bridge made of ships" in Japanese, from 船 (funa), meaning "ship, vessel", and 橋 (hashi), meaning "bridge"... [more]
Gifu岐阜, ぎふ(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Japanese From Japanese 岐 (gi) meaning "branch off, fork, divide" and 阜 (fu) meaning "mound". This is the name of a city in Japan, as well as the prefecture in which the city is located.
Gunma群馬(Political Subdivision)Japanese Means "group of horses" in Japanese.
Habanaハバナ(Settlement)Spanish, Japanese Spanish and Japanese form of Havana. In Spanish it is usually written with the definite article: La Habana.
Hachiōji八王子, はちおうじ(Settlement)Japanese Means "eight princes" in Japanese, from 八 (hachi), meaning "eight", 王 (ō), meaning "king", and 子 (shi), meaning "child"... [more]
Hakone箱根, ハコネ(Settlement)Japanese This is the name of a resort town in Japan's Kanagawa prefecture which, apart from its hot spring resorts, houses the Hakone Shrine (箱根神社, はこねじんじゃ) which dedicates to the Hakone Gongen (箱根権現, はこねごんげん).... [more]
Hamamatsu浜松, はままつ(Settlement)Japanese Means "pine beach" in Japanese. The kanji that make up the name are 浜 (hama), meaning "beach, seashore", and 松 (matsu), meaning "pine tree"... [more]
Heijō平壌(Settlement)Japanese Alternate reading of Pyon'yan. This was the name for Pyongyang used during the Japanese occupation of Korea in the 20th century.
Higashiōsaka東大阪, ひがしおうさか(Settlement)Japanese Means "East Ōsaka" in Japanese. This is the name of a city in Ōsaka Prefecture, Japan.
Himeji姫路, ひめじ(Settlement & Other)Japanese Of uncertain meaning. This is the name of the largest castle in Japan, as well as a city in Hyōgo Prefecture.
Himuka日向, ヒムカ(Political Subdivision)Japanese (Archaic) Earlier form of Hyūga, made up of 日 (hi) meaning "sun" and 向か (muka), the irrealis form of verb 向く (muku) meaning "to turn toward; to face (a direction); to point to."
Hiroshima広島, ひろしま(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Japanese From Japanese 広 (hiro) meaning "vast, wide" and 島 (shima) meaning "island". This is the name of a city in Japan, as well as the prefecture in which the city is located.
Hokkaido北海道, ほっかいどう(Political Subdivision & Island)Japanese From Japanese 北海 (hokkai) meaning "northern sea" and 道 (dō) meaning "circuit". This is the name of an island and prefecture of Japan.
Hokuchin(Mountain)Japanese A mountain in Hokkaido, apart of the Ishikari Mountain range.
Hyōgo兵庫(Political Subdivision)Japanese Means "soldier's warehouse" in Japanese.
Hyūga日向, ヒュウガ(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Japanese Shifted from earlier Himuka, belonging to an old province which corresponds to modern Miyazaki Prefecture and a modern city in that prefecture, formed on April 1, 1951.
Ibaraki茨城(Political Subdivision)Japanese Means "thorn castle" in Japanese.
Ikoma(Settlement)Japanese Ikoma is a northwestern city in Nara Prefecture, Japan. The mountain in Ikoma is named after it.
Imari伊万里, イマリ(Settlement)Japanese This is the name of a city, known for Imari porcelain (even though it's actually made in nearby Arita) and for Imari pears, which is located in Saga Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū in south-western Japan.... [more]
Iwate岩手(Political Subdivision)Japanese Means "rock hand" in Japanese.
Izumo出雲, イズモ(Other)Japanese This is the name of a city in Japan's Shimane Prefecture. Izumo-taisha (出雲大社) (or Izumo Grand Shrine) is located in the city.... [more]
Kagawa香川(Political Subdivision)Japanese Means "river incense" in Japanese.
Kagoshima鹿児島, かごしま(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Japanese From Japanese 鹿子 (kako) meaning "fawn, young deer" and 島 (shima) meaning "island". This is the name of a city in Japan, as well as the prefecture in which the city is located.
Kaiyō海陽, カイヨウ(Settlement)Japanese This is the name of a town in Japan's Tokushima Prefecture.... [more]
Kakinカキン(Country, Region & Mountain)Popular Culture, Japanese An empire in Hunter X Hunter, named after the Kachin state of Myanmar, but inspired by northern parts of the country as a whole.
Kanagawa神奈川(Political Subdivision)Japanese Means "god's kara pear river" in Japanese.
Kanazawa金沢, かなざわ(Settlement)Japanese Means "marsh of gold" in Japanese; derived from a local legend, according to which a peasant who found flakes of gold while digging for potatoes. The kanji that make up the name are 金 (kana), meaning "metal, gold", and 沢 (sawa), meaning "marsh"... [more]
Karasu香良洲, カラス(Settlement)Japanese This is the name of a former town located in Japan's Mie Prefecture which merged and expanded, along with a few other towns and municipalities, into the city of Tsu.... [more]
Kawaguchi川口, かわぐち(Settlement)Japanese Means "estuary, mouth of a river" in Japanese, from 川 (kawa), meaning "river", and 口 (kuchi), meaning "mouth-like opening"... [more]
Kawasaki川崎, かわさき(Settlement)Japanese Means "river bank" in Japanese. The kanji that make up the name are 川 (kawa), meaning "river, stream, brook", and 崎 (saki), meaning "peninsula, promontory, cape, spit"... [more]
Kirishima霧島, キリシマ(Settlement)Japanese This is the name of a city which is located near the Sakurajima volcano in Kagoshima prefecture in south-western mainland Japan.... [more]
Kōchi高知(Political Subdivision)Japanese Means "high knowledge" in Japanese.
Kōfu甲府, こうふ(Settlement)Japanese Means "capital of Kai Province" in Japanese. The kanji that make up the name are 甲 (kō), originally an abbreviation of 甲斐 (kai), of uncertain meaning, and 府 (fu), meaning "government office"... [more]
Kogane黄金, 小金, コガネ(Other)Japanese This is the name of several towns, stations and mountains found in Japan.... [more]
Kumamoto熊本, くまもと(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Japanese From Japanese 熊 (kuma) meaning "bear" and 本 (moto) meaning "base, root, origin". This is the name of a city in Japan, as well as the prefecture in which the city is located.
Kurimiaクリミア(Country, Political Subdivision & Region)Japanese Japanese form of Crimea.
Kyōto京都, きょうと(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Japanese Alternate transcription of Kyoto.
Kyoto京都, きょうと(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Japanese From Japanese 京都 (kyōto) meaning "capital city", itself borrowed from Middle Chinese. This is the name of a city in Japan, as well as the prefecture in which the city is located.
Kyushu九州, きゅうしゅう(Island)Japanese From Japanese 九 (kyū) meaning "nine" and 州 (shū) meaning "province, state". This is the name of an island in Japan.
Maebashi前橋, まえばし(Settlement)Japanese From earlier 厩橋 (Umayabashi), derived from 駅家 (umaya), meaning "stable", denoting a small refreshment house with a stable, not far from a bridge (橋, hashi) that crossed the Tone River... [more]
Matsuda(Mountain)Japanese This the name of a mountain in the Ishikari Mountain range in Hokkaido, Japan. Matsuda is also a surname meaning "mountain rice paddy."
Matsue松江, まつえ(Settlement)Japanese The kanji that make up the name are 松 (matsu), meaning "pine tree", and 江 (e), meaning "creek, inlet, bay"... [more]
Matsuyama松山, まつやま(Settlement)Japanese Means "pine mountain" in Japanese. The kanji that make up the name are 松 (matsu), meaning "pine tree", and 山 (yama), meaning "mountain"... [more]
Mie三重(Political Subdivision)Japanese Means "triple, three layers" in Japanese.
Minaka(Island)Japanese Like Minako in Sailor Moon, Minaka is a name from Mina and Aka
Mito水戸, みと(Settlement)Japanese The kanji that make up the name are 水 (mizu), meaning "water", and 戸 (to), meaning "door". This is the name of the capital city of Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan.
Mitsue御杖, ミツエ(Settlement)Japanese This is the name of a village located in the eastern-most part of Nara prefecture in western Japan.... [more]
Miyagi宮城(Political Subdivision)Japanese Means "home castle" in Japanese.
Miyazaki宮崎, みやざき(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Japanese From Japanese 宮 (miya) meaning "temple, shrine, palace" and 崎 (saki) meaning "cape, peninsula". This is the name of a city in Japan, as well as the prefecture in which the city is located.
Morioka盛岡, もりおか(Settlement)Japanese Means "prosperous hill" in Japanese. The kanji that make up the name are 盛 (mori), meaning "prosper", and 岡 (oka), meaning "hill". This is the name of the capital city of Iwate Prefecture, Japan.
Nagano長野, ながの(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Japanese From Japanese 長 (naga) meaning "long" and 野 (no) meaning "field, wilderness". This is the name of a city in Japan, as well as the prefecture in which the city is located.
Nagasaki長崎, ながさき(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Japanese From Japanese 長 (naga) meaning "long" and 崎 (saki) meaning "cape". This is the name of a city in Japan, as well as the prefecture in which the city is located.
Nagoya名古屋, なごや(Settlement)Japanese Of uncertain meaning, possibly from Japanese 和やか (nagoyaka) meaning "peaceful". This is the name of a city in Japan.
Naha那覇, なは(Settlement)Japanese Possibly a corruption of naba, a Western Japanese and Ryukyuan word for "mushroom". This is the name of the capital city of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.
Naraなら, 奈良(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Japanese This is the name of a city which is the capital of Nara Prefecture in western Japan. The kanji used are 奈 (dai, na, nai, ikan, karanashi) meaning "Nara, what?" and 良 (ryou, i.i, yo.i, ra) meaning "good, pleasing, skilled."... [more]
Niigata新潟, にいがた(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Japanese From Japanese 新 (nii) meaning "new" and 潟 (kata) meaning "lagoon". This is the name of a city in Japan, as well as the prefecture in which the city is located.
Ōsaka大阪, おおさか(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Japanese Alternate transcription of Osaka.
Osaka大阪, おおさか(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Japanese From Japanese 大 (ō) meaning "big, great" and 阪 (saka) meaning "slope". This is the name of a city in Japan, as well as the prefecture in which the city is located.
Ōtsu大津, おうつ(Settlement)Japanese Means "large port" in Japanese. The kanji that make up the name are 大 (ō), meaning "big, large", and 津 (tsu, Japanese kun reading of jīn), meaning "port"... [more]
Saeki佐伯, サエキ(Settlement)Japanese This is the name of a former town in Okayama Prefecture in western Japan and a ward of Hiroshima City, also in western Japan.... [more]
Saga佐賀(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Japanese Means "celebrating sa rank, celebrating help" in Japanese.
Sagami(River)Japanese The Sagami River Valley is located in Atsugi, a city in east-central Honshu.
Sagamihara相模原, さがみはら(Settlement)Japanese Means "Sagami meadow" in Japanese; "Sagami", perhaps referring to Sagami Bay, is of uncertain meaning. This is the name of a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
Saitama埼玉(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Japanese Means "spheric peninsula" in Japanese.
Sakai堺, さかい(Settlement)Japanese Of uncertain meaning. First appeared in 1045 or earlier in Fujiwara Sadoyori's poetry. This is the name of a city in Ōsaka Prefecture, Japan.
Sakurazaka(Mountain)Japanese This is the name of one of the biggest volcanoes in Japan. It means "Cherry Blossom Slope/ Hill."
Sapporo札幌, さっぽろ(Settlement)Japanese From Ainu サッ・ポロ・ペッ (sat poro pet) meaning "dry, great river", referring to the Toyohira River. This is the name of the capital city of Hokkaido prefecture, Japan.
Sendai仙台, せんだい(Settlement)Japanese Evolved from earlier 仙臺; originally 千代 ("a thousand generations"), due to the presence of a temple with a thousand Buddha statues in Aoyama.... [more]
Shiretoko知床, シレトコ(Other)Japanese This is the name of a peninsula (declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005) in north-eastern Hokkaidō in northern Japan. The kanji that make up Shiretoko are 知 (chi, shi.raseru, shi.ru, shire) meaning "know, wisdom" and 床 (shou, toko, yuka) meaning "bed, floor, padding, tatami."... [more]
Suō周防, 周芳, スオウ(Political Subdivision)Japanese Shifted from earlier Suhau(Sufau) or Suha(Sufa) (first written as 周芳), belonging to an old province which corresponds to the eastern part of modern Yamaguchi Prefecture.... [more]
Taipei台北, タイペイ(Settlement)English, Japanese From Chinese 臺北 (Táiběi) derived from 臺 (tái) referring to Taiwan and 北 (běi) meaning "north". This is the name of the capital city of Taiwan.
Takamatsu高松, たかまつ(Settlement)Japanese Means "tall pine tree" in Japanese; derived from a local legend, according to which a peasant who found flakes of gold while digging for potatoes. The kanji that make up the name are 高 (taka), meaning "tall", and 松 (matsu), meaning "pine tree"... [more]
Takamori高森(Settlement)Japanese From Japanese 高 (taka) meaning "tall" and 森 (mori) meaning "forest".
Tenri天理, テンリ(Settlement)Japanese This is the name of a city in Nara prefecture which used to be (briefly) the capital of Japan under the reign of Emperor Ninken (probably reigned from 488–498).... [more]
Tochigi栃木(Political Subdivision)Japanese Means "horse-chestnut tree" in Japanese.
Tokushima徳島(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Japanese Means "advantaged island" in Japanese.
Tsu津, つ(Settlement)Japanese Means "port" in Japanese; tsu is the Japanese kun reading of jīn. This is the name of the capital city of Mie Prefecture, Japan.
Utsunomiya宇都宮, うつのみや(Settlement)Japanese This is the name of a city which is the capital and most populous city of Tochigi Prefecture, located in central Japan. The kanji used are 宇 (u) meaning "eaves, heaven, house, roof", 都 (tsu, to, miyako) meaning "capital, metropolis" and 宮 (kyuu, ku, kuu, guu, miya) meaning "constellations, palace, princess, Shinto shrine."... [more]
Wakayama和歌山(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Japanese Means "peaceful singing mountain" in Japanese.
Yamagata山形(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Japanese Means "mountain form" in Japanese.
Yamaguchi山口(Political Subdivision & Settlement)Japanese Means "mountain opening, mouth of the mountain" in Japanese.
Yamanashi山梨(Political Subdivision)Japanese Means "mountain pear" in Japanese.
Yoichi余市, よいち(Settlement)Japanese This is the name of a district and town in Shiribeshi Subprefecture in south-western Hokkaidō, located in northern Japan.... [more]
Yokohama横浜, よこはま(Settlement)Japanese From Japanese 横 (yoko) meaning "sideways, horizontal" and 浜 (hama) meaning "beach, seashore". This is the name of a city in Japan.
Yokosuka横須賀, ヨコスカ(Settlement)Japanese This is from a place in Japan's Kanagawa Prefecture in the east of the country. The kanji that make up Yokosuka are 横 (ou, yoko) meaning "horizontal, side, sideways, width, woof", 須 (shu, su, subekara.ku, subeshi, hige, matsu, machi.iru, mato.meru) meaning "by all means, necessarily, ought" and 賀 (ga, ka) meaning "congratulations, joy."... [more]