Famous samurai of Japan. Japanese male names in English

In world history there have always been groups of people whose image remained forever romanticized in people's hearts. Western pop culture draws on European and American heroic figures, bringing them to life in Westerns, medieval films, and fairy tales set in countries ruled by kings and queens. Cowboys and knights have always served as an ideal image for creating popular media products, thanks to the countless adventures and exciting situations in which they found themselves with enviable consistency.

Samurai were the equivalent of European knights, a noble military class in medieval Japan. For hundreds of years, samurai played a vital sacred role in Japanese society. The samurai swore allegiance to his master and pledged to serve him with his blade and wisdom, following a certain set of moral and philosophical rules called bushido. Following the path of bushido helped the samurai to embody the concepts of chivalry, achieve mastery in martial arts, honor concepts such as loyalty, honor, service, and prefer death to dishonor. Some samurai could become military leaders by right of inheritance, without waiting for the will of the master.

After stories about samurai spread beyond Japan, people from all over the planet took a keen interest in their history. It was actually very exciting: samurai embodied the image of an ideal warrior who revered culture and laws, and who took his chosen path in life seriously. When a samurai failed his master or himself, according to local customs he had to be subjected to the ritual of seppuku - ritual suicide. In our list you will find the ten greatest samurai who lived in Japan at one time or another.

10. Hojo Ujitsuna (1487 - 1541)

Hōjō Ujitsuna was the son of Hōjō Soun, founder of the Hōjō clan, which controlled a large swath of the Kanto region, Japan's most populous island, during the Sengoku period (1467 - 1603). The Sengoku period was characterized by constant wars between families of high-ranking military personnel, and Hojo Ujitsuna was lucky enough to be born during this period of time, in 1487. Ujitsuna reignited a long-standing feud with the Uesugi clan by taking over Edo Castle in 1524, one of the main seats of power in medieval Japan. He managed to spread his family's influence throughout the Kanto region, and by the time of his death in 1541, the Hojo clan was one of the most powerful and dominant families in Japan.

9. Hattori Hanzo (1542 - 1596)

This name may be familiar to fans of Quentin Tarantino, since it was based on the real life biography of Hattori Hanzo that Quentin created the image of the swordsman for the film Kill Bill. Not much is known about Hanzo's early life, but historians believe he was born in 1542. Starting at the age of 16, he fought for survival, participating in many battles. Hanzo was loyal to Tokugawa Ieyasu, saving the life of this man on more than one occasion, who later founded the shogunate that ruled Japan for more than 250 years, from 1603 to 1868. Throughout Japan he is known as a great and devoted samurai who has become a legend. His name can be found carved at the entrance to the imperial palace.

8. Uesugi Kenshin (1530 - 1578)


Uesugi Kenshin was a strong military leader and also the leader of the Nagao clan. He was distinguished by his outstanding ability as a commander, resulting in his troops achieving many victories on the battlefield. His rivalry with Takeda Shingen, another warlord, was one of the most widely known in history during the Sengoku period. They feuded for 14 years, during which time they engaged in several one-on-one fights. Kenshin died in 1578, the circumstances of his death remain unclear. Modern historians believe it was something similar to stomach cancer.

7. Shimazu Yoshihisa (1533 - 1611)


This is another Japanese warlord who lived throughout the bloody Sengoku period. Born in 1533, he proved himself a talented commander as a young man, a trait that later allowed him and his comrades to conquer much of the Kyushu region. Thanks to his successes on the battlefield, he earned the selfless loyalty of his servants (sworn swords, as they were also called), who fought desperately for him on the battlefield. Yoshihisa became the first to unite the entire Kyushu region; it was subsequently defeated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and his 200,000-strong army.

6. Mori Motonari (1497 - 1571)

Mori Motonari grew up in relative obscurity, but this did not stop him from taking control of several of the largest clans in Japan and becoming one of the most feared and powerful warlords of the Sengoku period. His appearance on the general stage was sudden, and equally unexpected was the series of victories he won over strong and respected opponents. He eventually captured 10 of the 11 Chugoku provinces. Many of his victories were against much larger and more experienced opponents, making his feats even more impressive.

5. Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

Miyamoto Musashi was a samurai whose words and opinions still mark modern Japan. Musashi was a ronin, a masterless samurai who lived during the Sengoku period. Today he is known as the author of The Book of Five Rings, which describes the strategy and philosophy of samurai in battle. He was the first to use a new fighting style in the sword technique of kenjutsu, calling it niten ichi, when the fight is fought with two swords. According to legend, he traveled through ancient Japan, and during his travels he managed to win many fights. His ideas, strategies, tactics and philosophies are the subject of study to this day.

4. Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536 - 1598)

Toyotomi Hideyoshi is considered one of Japan's Founding Fathers, one of three men whose actions helped unify Japan and end the long and bloody Sengoku era. Hideyoshi succeeded his former master Oda Nobunaga, and began to implement social and cultural reforms that determined the future direction of Japan for a period of 250 years. He banned sword ownership by non-samurai, and also began a nationwide search for all swords and other weapons that were henceforth to belong only to samurai. Although this concentrated all military power in the hands of the samurai, such a move was a huge breakthrough towards general peace since the reign of the Sengoku era.

3. Takeda Shingen (1521 - 1573)

Takeda Shingen was perhaps the most dangerous commander of the entire Sengoku era. He was born heir to the Takeda family, but personally seized power when it turned out that his father was going to leave everything to his other son. Shingen allied with several other powerful samurai clans, which pushed him to expand beyond his home province of Kai. Shingen became one of the few who were able to defeat the army of Oda Nabunaga, who at that time was successfully capturing other territories of Japan. He died in 1573, suffering from illness, but by this point he was well on his way to consolidating power over all of Japan. Many historians believe that if he had not fallen ill, Oda Nabunaga would never have come to power again.

2. Oda Nobunaga (1534 - 1582)


Oda Nobunaga was the driving force behind the unification of Japan. He was the first military leader to rally a huge number of provinces around himself and made his samurai the dominant military force throughout Japan. By 1559, he had already captured his home province of Owari and decided to continue what he had started, expanding his borders. For 20 years, Nobunaga slowly rose to power, emerging as one of the country's most feared military leaders. Only a couple of people, including Takeda Shingen, managed to win victories against his unique military tactics and strategy. Fortunately for Nobunaga, Shingen died and left the country to his destruction. In 1582, at the height of his power, Nobunaga was the victim of a coup d'état launched by his own general, Akeshi Mitsuhide. Realizing that defeat was inevitable, Nobunaga retreated inside the Honno-Ji Temple in Kyoto and committed seppuku (ritual suicide of the samurai).

1. Tokugawa Ieyasu


Tokugawa Ieyasu may not have been the most effective samurai, but by the end of the Sengoku period, he became the man who held the best cards. Ieyasu formed an alliance between the Tokugawa and Oda Nobunaga clans, but with the death of the latter, a huge military force found itself without a commander-in-chief. Although Toyotomi Hideyoshi replaced Nobunaga, his absolute power over the country lasted a very short time. From 1584 to 1598, Tokugawa Ieyasu's forces fought with Toyotomi Hideyoshi's army for control of the country. In 1598, Hideyoshi died of illness, leaving a 5-year-old son as his heir. In 1600, at the Battle of Sekigahara, the forces of the Tokugawa army dealt a mortal blow to the remnants of the Oda-Toyotomi alliance. From this point on, he became the first shogun, whose dynasty ruled Japan until the revival of the Meiji dynasty in 1868. The years of rule of the Tokugawa clan left their mark on the path of development of the country, isolating it from the rest of the world for a whole quarter of a millennium.

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A Japanese name (人名 jinmei) these days usually consists of a family name (surname) followed by a personal name.

Names are usually written using kanji, which can have many different pronunciations in different cases.

Modern Japanese names can be compared to names in many other cultures. All Japanese have a single surname and a single given name without a patronymic, with the exception of the Japanese imperial family, whose members do not have a surname. Girls who marry princes also lose their surnames.

In Japan, the surname comes first, and then the given name. At the same time, in Western languages ​​(often in Russian) Japanese names are written in the reverse order first name - last name - according to European tradition. For convenience, the Japanese sometimes write their last name in CAPITAL letters so that it is not confused with their given name.

Names in Japan are often created independently from existing characters, so the country has a huge number of unique names. Surnames are more traditional and most often go back to place names. There are significantly more first names in Japanese than surnames. Male and female names differ due to their characteristic components and structure. Reading Japanese proper names is one of the most difficult elements of the Japanese language.

The surname in Japanese is called "myoji" (苗字 or 名字), "uji" (氏) or "sei" (姓).

The vocabulary of the Japanese language has long been divided into two types: wago (Japanese 和語 “Japanese language”) - native Japanese words and kango (Japanese 漢語 Chineseism) - borrowed from China. Names are also divided into these types, although a new type is now actively expanding - gairaigo (Japanese 外来語) - words borrowed from other languages, but components of this type are rarely used in names.

Modern Japanese names are divided into the following groups:
kunnye (consisting of vago),
onny (consisting of kango),
mixed.
The ratio of kun and on surnames is approximately 80% to 20%.

The vast majority of surnames in Japanese consist of two characters; surnames with one or three characters are less common, and surnames with four or more characters are very rare.

Male names are the most difficult part of Japanese proper names to read; it is in male names that non-standard readings of nanori and rare readings, strange changes in some components are very common, although names that are easy to read are also found. For example, the names Kaoru (Japanese 薫), Shigekazu (Japanese 薫) and Kungoro: (Japanese 薫五郎) use the same character 薫 (“aroma”), but in each name it is read differently; and the common main component of names Yoshi can be written with 104 different characters and their combinations. Sometimes reading is not at all connected with written hieroglyphs, so it happens that only the bearer himself can read a name correctly.

Japanese female names, unlike male ones, in most cases have a simple kun reading and a clear and understandable meaning. Most female names are composed according to the “main component + indicator” scheme, but there are names without an indicator component. Sometimes female names may be written entirely in hiragana or katakana. Also, sometimes there are names with an onic reading, and also only in female names there are new non-Chinese borrowings (gairaigo).

Ancient names and surnames

Before the Meiji Restoration, only aristocrats (kuge) and samurai (bushi) had surnames. The rest of the Japanese population was content with personal names and nicknames.

Women of aristocratic and samurai families also usually did not have surnames, since they did not have the right of inheritance. In those cases where women did have surnames, they did not change them upon marriage.

Surnames were divided into two groups - the surnames of aristocrats and the surnames of samurai.

Unlike the number of samurai surnames, the number of aristocratic surnames has practically not increased since ancient times. Many of them went back to the priestly past of the Japanese aristocracy.

The most respected and respected clans of aristocrats were: Konoe, Takashi, Kujo, Ichijo and Gojo. All of them belonged to the Fujiwara clan and had a common name - “Gosetsuke”. From among the men of this family, regents (sessho) and chancellors (kampaku) of Japan were appointed, and from among the women, wives for the emperors were chosen.

The next most important clans were the Hirohata, Daigo, Kuga, Oimikado, Saionji, Sanjo, Imaidegawa, Tokudaji and Kaoin clans. The highest state dignitaries were appointed from among them. Thus, representatives of the Saionji clan served as imperial grooms (meryo no gogen). Next came all the other aristocratic clans.

The hierarchy of nobility of aristocratic families began to take shape in the 6th century and lasted until the end of the 11th century, when power in the country passed to the samurai. Among them, the clans Genji (Minamoto), Heike (Taira), Hojo, Ashikaga, Tokugawa, Matsudaira, Hosokawa, Shimazu, Oda enjoyed special respect. A number of their representatives at different times were shoguns (military rulers) of Japan.

The personal names of aristocrats and high-ranking samurai were formed from two kanji (hieroglyphs) with a “noble” meaning.

Personal names of samurai servants and peasants were often given according to the principle of "numbering". The first son is Ichiro, the second is Jiro, the third is Saburo, the fourth is Shiro, the fifth is Goro, etc. Also, in addition to “-ro”, the suffixes “-emon”, “-ji”, “-zo”, “-suke”, “-be” were used for this purpose.

Upon entering the period of adolescence, the samurai chose a different name for himself than the one given to him at birth. Sometimes samurai changed their names throughout adult life, for example, to emphasize the onset of a new period (promotion or moving to another duty station). The master had the right to rename his vassal. In cases of serious illness, the name was sometimes changed to that of Amida Buddha to appeal to his mercy.

According to the rules of samurai duels, before the fight, the samurai had to say his full name so that the enemy could decide whether he was worthy of such an opponent. Of course, in life this rule was observed much less often than in novels and chronicles.

The suffix “-hime” was added to the end of the names of girls from noble families. It is often translated as "princess", but in fact it was used to refer to all noble ladies.

The suffix "-gozen" was used for the names of samurai wives. They were often called simply by their husband's surname and rank. Personal names of married women were practically used only by their close relatives.

For the names of monks and nuns from the noble classes, the suffix “-in” was used.

Modern names and surnames

During the Meiji Restoration, all Japanese people were given surnames. Naturally, most of them were associated with various signs of peasant life, especially with rice and its processing. These surnames, like the surnames of the upper class, were also usually made up of two kanji.

The most common Japanese surnames now are Suzuki, Tanaka, Yamamoto, Watanabe, Saito, Sato, Sasaki, Kudo, Takahashi, Kobayashi, Kato, Ito, Murakami, Oonishi, Yamaguchi, Nakamura, Kuroki, Higa.

Men's names have changed less. They also often depend on the “serial number” of the son in the family. The suffixes "-ichi" and "-kazu" are often used, meaning "first son", as well as the suffixes "-ji" ("second son") and "-zō" ("third son").

Most Japanese girl names end in "-ko" ("child") or "-mi" ("beauty"). Girls, as a rule, are given names associated in meaning with everything beautiful, pleasant and feminine. Unlike male names, female names are usually written in hiragana rather than kanji.

Some modern girls do not like the ending “-ko” in their names and prefer to omit it. For example, a girl named "Yuriko" might call herself "Yuri".

According to a law passed during the time of Emperor Meiji, after marriage, husband and wife are legally required to adopt the same surname. In 98% of cases this is the husband's last name.

After death, a Japanese person receives a new, posthumous name (kaimyo), which is written on a special wooden tablet (ihai). This tablet is considered to be the embodiment of the spirit of the deceased and is used in funeral rites. Kaimyo and ihai are purchased from Buddhist monks - sometimes even before the person's death.

Japanese surnames and their meanings

Abe - 阿部 - corner, shadow; sector
Akiyama - 秋山 - autumn + mountain
Ando: - 安藤 - calm + wisteria
Aoki - 青木 - green, young + tree
Arai - 新井 - new well
Arai - 荒井 - wild well
Araki - 荒木 - wild + tree
Asano - 浅野／淺野 - small + [uncultivated] field; plain
Baba - 馬場 - horse + place
Wada - 和田 - harmony + rice field
Watanabe - 渡辺／渡邊 - cross + surroundings
Watanabe - 渡部 - to cross + part; sector;
Goto: - 後藤 - behind, future + wisteria
Yokota - 横田 - side + rice field
Yokoyama - 横山 - side, side of the mountain
Yoshida - 吉田 - happiness + rice field
Yoshikawa - 吉川 - happiness + river
Yoshimura - 吉村 - happiness + village
Yoshioka - 吉岡 - happiness + hill
Iwamoto - 岩本 - rock + base
Iwasaki - 岩崎 - rock + cape
Iwata - 岩田 - rock + rice field
Igarashi - 五十嵐 - 50 storms
Iendo: - 遠藤 - distant + wisteria
Iida - 飯田 - boiled rice, food + rice field
Ikeda - 池田 - pond + rice field
Imai - 今井 - now + well
Inoe - 井上 - well + top
Ishibashi - 石橋 - stone + bridge
Isis - 石田 - stone + rice field
Ishii - 石井 - stone + well
Ishikawa - 石川 - stone + river
Ishihara - 石原 - stone + plain, field; steppe
Ichikawa - 市川 - city + river
Ito - 伊東 - that, he + east
Ito: - 伊藤 - And + wisteria
Kawaguchi - 川口 - river + mouth, entrance
Kawakami - 川上 - river + top
Kawamura - 川村 - river + village
Kawasaki - 川崎 - river + cape
Kamata - 鎌田 - sickle, scythe + rice field
Kaneko - 金子 - gold + child
Katayama - 片山 - piece + mountain
Kato: - 加藤 - add + wisteria
Kikuchi - 菊地 - chrysanthemum + earth
Kikuchi - 菊池 - chrysanthemum + pond
Kimura - 木村 - tree + village
Kinoshita - 木下 - tree + under, bottom
Kitamura - 北村 - north + village
Ko:no - 河野 - river + [uncultivated] field; plain
Kobayashi - 小林 - small forest
Kojima - 小島 - small + island
Koike - 小池 - small + pond
Komatsu - 小松 - small pine
Kondo - 近藤 - close + wisteria
Konishi - 小西 - small + west
Koyama - 小山 - small mountain
Kubo - 久保 - long + maintain
Kubota - 久保田 - long + maintain + rice field
Kudo: - 工藤 - worker + wisteria
Kumagai - 熊谷 - bear + valley
Kurihara - 栗原 - chestnut + plain, field; steppe
Kuroda - 黒田 - black rice field
Maruyama - 丸山 - round + mountain
Masuda - 増田 - increase + rice field
Matsubara - 松原 - pine + plain, field; steppe
Matsuda - 松田 - pine + rice field
Matsui - 松井 - pine + well
Matsumoto - 松本 - pine + base
Matsumura - 松村 - pine + village
Matsuo - 松尾 - pine + tail
Matsuoka - 松岡 - pine + hill
Matsushita - 松下 - pine + under, bottom
Matsuura - 松浦 - pine + bay
Maeda - 前田 - behind + rice field
Mizuno - 水野 - water + [uncultivated] field; plain
Minami - 南 - south
Miura - 三浦 - three bays
Miyazaki - 宮崎 - temple, palace + cape
Miyake - 三宅 - three houses
Miyamoto - 宮本 - temple, palace + base
Miyata - 宮田 - temple, palace + rice field
Mori - 森 - forest
Morimoto - 森本 - forest + base
Morita - 森田 - forest + rice field
Mochizuki - 望月 - full moon
Murakami - 村上 - village + top
Murata - 村田 - village + rice field
Nagai - 永井 - eternal well
Nagata - 永田 - eternal rice field
Naito - 内藤 - inside + wisteria
Nakagawa - 中川 - middle + river
Nakajima／Nakashima - 中島 - middle + island
Nakamura - 中村 - middle + village
Nakanishi - 中西 - west + middle
Nakano - 中野 - middle + [uncultivated] field; plain
Nakata／ Nakada - 中田 - middle + rice field
Nakayama - 中山 - middle + mountain
Narita - 成田 - to form + rice field
Nishida - 西田 - west + rice field
Nishikawa - 西川 - west + river
Nishimura - 西村 - west + village
Nishiyama - 西山 - west + mountain
Noguchi - 野口 - [uncultivated] field; plain + mouth, entrance
Noda - 野田 - [uncultivated] field; plain + rice field
Nomura - 野村 - [uncultivated] field; plain + village
Ogawa - 小川 - small river
Oda - 小田 - small rice field
Ozawa - 小沢／小澤 - small swamp
Ozaki - 尾崎 - tail + cape
Oka - 岡 - hill
Okada - 岡田 - hill + rice field
Okazaki - 岡崎 - hill + cape
Okamoto - 岡本 - hill + base
Okumura - 奥村 - deep (hidden) + village
Ono - 小野 - small + [uncultivated] field; plain
Ooishi - 大石 - large stone
Ookubo - 大久保 - big + long + support
Oomori - 大森 - large forest
Oonishi - 大西 - big west
Oono - 大野 - large + [uncultivated] field; plain
Oosawa - 大沢／大澤 - large swamp
Ooshima - 大島 - large island
Oota - 太田 - big + rice field
Ootani - 大谷 - big valley
Oohashi - 大橋 - big bridge
Ootsuka - 大塚 - big + hill
Sawada - 沢田／澤田 - swamp + rice field
Saito: - 斉藤／齊藤 - equal + wisteria
Saito: - 斎藤／齋藤 - purification (religious) + wisteria
Sakai - 酒井 - alcohol + well
Sakamoto - 坂本 - slope + base
Sakurai - 桜井／櫻井 - sakura + well
Sano - 佐野 - assistant + [uncultivated] field; plain
Sasaki - 佐々木 - assistants + tree
Sato: - 佐藤 - helper + wisteria
Shibata - 柴田 - brushwood + rice field
Shimada - 島田 - island + rice field
Shimizu - 清水 - clear water
Shinohara - 篠原 - low-growing bamboo + plain, field; steppe
Sugawara - 菅原 - sedge + plain, field; steppe
Sugimoto - 杉本 - Japanese cedar + roots
Sugiyama - 杉山 - Japanese cedar + mountain
Suzuki - 鈴木 - bell (bell) + wood
Suto/Sudo - 須藤 - certainly + wisteria
Seki - 関／關 - Outpost; barrier
Taguchi - 田口 - rice floor + mouth
Takagi - 高木 - tall tree
Takada／Takata - 高田 - tall + rice field
Takano - 高野 - high + [uncultivated] field; plain
Takahashi - 高橋 - high + bridge
Takayama - 高山 - high mountain
Takeda - 武田 - military + rice field
Takeuchi - 竹内 - bamboo + inside
Tamura - 田村 - rice field + village
Tanabe - 田辺／田邊 - rice field + surroundings
Tanaka - 田中 - rice field + middle
Taniguchi - 谷口 - valley + mouth, entrance
Chiba - 千葉 - thousand leaves
Uchida - 内田 - inside + rice field
Uchiyama - 内山 - inside + mountain
Ueda/Ueta - 上田 - top + rice field
Ueno - 上野 - top + [uncultivated] field; plain
Fujiwara - 藤原 - wisteria + plain, field; steppe
Fuji - 藤井 - wisteria + well
Fujimoto - 藤本 - wisteria + base
Fujita - 藤田 - wisteria + rice field
Fukuda - 福田 - happiness, prosperity + rice field
Fukui - 福井 - happiness, prosperity + well
Fukushima - 福島 - happiness, prosperity + island
Furukawa - 古川 - old river
Hagiwara - 萩原 - bicolor lespedeza + plain, field; steppe
Hamada - 浜田／濱田 - shore + rice field
Khara - 原 - plain, field; steppe
Harada - 原田 - plain, field; steppe + rice field
Hashimoto - 橋本 - bridge + base
Hasegawa - 長谷川 - long + valley + river
Hattori - 服部 - clothes, subordinate + part; sector;
Hayakawa - 早川 - early + river
Hayashi - 林 - forest
Higuchi - 樋口 - gutter; drain + mouth, entrance
Hirai - 平井 - level well
Hirano - 平野 - flat + [uncultivated] field; plain
Hirata - 平田 - flat + rice field
Hirose - 広瀬／廣瀬 - wide fast current
Homma - 本間 - base + space, room, luck
Honda - 本田 - base + rice field
Hori - 堀 - channel
Hoshino - 星野 - star + [uncultivated] field; plain
Tsuji - 辻 - street
Tsuchiya - 土屋 - land + house
Yamaguchi - 山口 - mountain + mouth, entrance
Yamada - 山田 - mountain + rice field
Yamazaki／ Yamasaki - 山崎 - mountain + cape
Yamamoto - 山本 - mountain + base
Yamanaka - 山中 - mountain + middle
Yamashita - 山下 - mountain + under, bottom
Yamauchi - 山内 - mountain + inside
Yano - 矢野 - arrow + [uncultivated] field; plain
Yasuda - 安田 - calm + rice field.

Oleg and Valentina Svetovid are mystics, specialists in esotericism and occultism, authors of 13 books.

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Japanese names

Japanese male names and their meanings

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Japanese names. Japanese male names and their meanings

What were the ancient Japanese called?

The laws that formed Japanese male names go back to ancient times. Approximately 300 years BC, the Jomon culture existed in Japan, which by that period had reached the pinnacle of its development. Over time, this culture changed and transformed into another, which modern scientists gave the name Yaen. The formation of the national Japanese language dates back to this time. The country's society was then divided as follows: the ruling elite (clans), artisans (necessary to serve the upper class) and slaves. The social category of a Japanese was necessarily indicated by a certain component in his name.

If a Japanese person's name contained the component "uji", this meant that he belonged to the upper class of society, and the component "be" indicated that its owner earned his living through hard work. Over the years, numerous clans with the particles “be” and “uji” were formed; over time, the social status of the clan underwent various changes. Now it is difficult to determine the social status of their carriers from these particles, but their presence indicates the genealogical roots of a person. The right to bear a surname extended only to high-ranking nobles close to the emperor. The chosen ones in Japanese society were considered to be “kuge” (aristocrats) and “bushi” (samurai). All other residents of the country could only bear names and nicknames, this continued until the 19th century.

How the samurai clan influenced the origin of male names

The clan of Japanese samurai was formed in Japan in the 7th century, formed by its first military usurper, samurai Minamoto Yoritomo. At this time, the situation in the country had all the conditions for the prosperity of the samurai, and various benefits were assigned to the military clan for many years to come. Samurai could choose their names, which usually related to the place of their service or the awards they received. In addition, the samurai had the right to name their servants; for this purpose, the servants were assigned serial numbers.

If we consider the construction of the male names Ichiro (first son), Shiro (third son), Goro (fifth son), then we can understand their origin - the designations of the particles “iti”, “si”, “go” are taken from the serial numbers first, third, fifth. This principle of construction has been preserved to this day, although it no longer means belonging to the poor class. Young samurai had the right to choose a new name for themselves; some of them were renamed several times during their lives to commemorate some big event. Often the samurai's servants were renamed, whether they wanted it or not - the owner was not interested in this.

If a samurai suffered a serious illness, he had a new reason for renaming. In illness, the samurai was called only “Buddha Amida”, firmly believing that turning to the mercy of God would help him heal. Traditional samurai fights had to begin with the proclamation of their full name, so that the enemy would have time to realize and feel what a powerful warrior would now fight him. Often this rule was not observed due to lack of time for such a ceremony, because fights arose suddenly.

Modern male names in Japanese

Now Japanese male names are numerous varieties, but each of them contains some element inherited from their ancestors. Names for Japanese men to this day depend on the serial number under which the boy was born in his family. If the son appeared first, his name will have the suffix “kazu” and “iti”, “ji” will indicate the appearance of the second son in the family, “zo” will indicate the third.

Every adult resident of modern Japan has the right to have a pseudonym. After their death, many Japanese receive new names (posthumous), they are called kaimyo and are inscribed on a special wooden tablet, which symbolizes the spirit of the deceased. The Japanese are little concerned about their personal names, since many of them believe in the reincarnation of souls.

Beautiful Japanese male names can be represented by the following list:

Before the Meiji Restoration, only aristocrats (kuge) and samurai (bushi) had surnames. The rest of the Japanese population was content with personal names and nicknames.

Women of aristocratic and samurai families also usually did not have surnames, since they did not have the right of inheritance. In those cases where women did have surnames, they did not change them upon marriage.

Surnames were divided into two groups - the surnames of aristocrats and the surnames of samurai.

Unlike the number of samurai surnames, the number of aristocratic surnames has practically not increased since ancient times. Many of them went back to the priestly past of the Japanese aristocracy.

The most respected and respected clans of aristocrats were: Konoe, Takashi, Kujo, Ichijo and Gojo. All of them belonged to the Fujiwara clan and had a common name - "Gosetsuke". From among the men of this family, regents (sessho) and chancellors (kampaku) of Japan were appointed, and from among the women, wives for the emperors were chosen.

The next most important clans were the Hirohata, Daigo, Kuga, Oimikado, Saionji, Sanjo, Imaidegawa, Tokudaji and Kaoin clans. The highest state dignitaries were appointed from among them. Thus, representatives of the Saionji clan served as imperial grooms (meryo no gogen). Next came all the other aristocratic clans.

The hierarchy of nobility of aristocratic families began to take shape in the 6th century and lasted until the end of the 11th century, when power in the country passed to the samurai. Among them, the clans Genji (Minamoto), Heike (Taira), Hojo, Ashikaga, Tokugawa, Matsudaira, Hosokawa, Shimazu, Oda enjoyed special respect. A number of their representatives at different times were shoguns (military rulers) of Japan.

The personal names of aristocrats and high-ranking samurai were formed from two kanji (hieroglyphs) with a “noble” meaning.

Personal names of samurai servants and peasants were often given according to the principle of "numbering". The first son is Ichiro, the second is Jiro, the third is Saburo, the fourth is Shiro, the fifth is Goro, etc. Also, in addition to “-ro”, the suffixes “-emon”, “-ji”, “-zo”, “-suke”, “-be” were used for this purpose.

Upon entering the period of adolescence, the samurai chose a different name for himself than the one given to him at birth. Sometimes samurai changed their names throughout adult life, for example, to emphasize the onset of a new period (promotion or moving to another duty station). The master had the right to rename his vassal. In cases of serious illness, the name was sometimes changed to that of Amida Buddha to appeal to his mercy.

According to the rules of samurai duels, before the fight, the samurai had to say his full name so that the enemy could decide whether he was worthy of such an opponent. Of course, in life this rule was observed much less often than in novels and chronicles.

The suffix "-hime" was added to the end of the names of girls from noble families. It is often translated as "princess", but in fact it was used in relation to all noble young ladies.

The suffix "-gozen" was used for the names of samurai wives. They were often called simply by their husband's surname and rank. Personal names of married women were practically used only by their close relatives.

For the names of monks and nuns from the noble classes, the suffix "-in" was used.

Created in ancient times. At the turn of the first millennium, some three hundred years BC, the advanced Japanese culture, called Jomon by specialists, reached its apogee. Fundamental modifications of this culture led to the revival of a new one, called Yaen by today's scientists. With the advent of Yaen, the national Japanese language began to take shape.

Modern male Japanese names and their meaning are determined by the division of society in the Yaen era into the ruling elite - clans, artisans - those who served these clans, and the lower class - slaves. A person’s belonging to one or another social category was indicated by a component of his name. For example, the “uji” component meant that a person had the privileges of a ruler, the “be” component meant that he belonged to the working class. This is how entire clans with names including “uji” and “be” were formed. Of course, over time, the social status of the clan has changed significantly, along with the meaning of the name. Now the presence of these components in a name does not at all determine their position in society, but at least indicates their genealogical roots.

Until the 19th century, only exceptional nobles close to the emperor had the right to surnames. The rest of the Japanese population was content with names and nicknames. The chosen ones were the aristocrats - "kuge", and the samurai - "bushi".

Samurai are a clan formed in the 7th century, when the first military usurper appeared in the history of Japan - the shogun - samurai Minamoto, but - Yerimoto. He laid the foundation for the formation of a privileged class called “samurai”. The fall of Shogun Totukawa and the concentration of power in the hands of Emperor Mutsuhito created fertile ground for the prosperity of the military clan and the consolidation of its preferential benefits for many years.
Samurai chose their names according to the circumstances. This could be a place of service or receiving any awards. Thanks to their special position, they gained the right to independently name their vassals and often gave serial numbers to the names of their servants. For example, Ichiro is the first son, Goro is the fifth, Shiro is the third. The particles “iti”, “go” and “si” in these names are serial numbers. Japanese male names have retained this numbering trend to this day, but now it no longer bears such clear indications of belonging to the category of commoners. Samurai, having reached a period of adolescence, received the right to choose a new name for themselves. Sometimes they changed their names several times throughout their lives in order to thus signify some significant dates in their biography. The unfortunate servants also changed their names regardless of their wishes. What can you do - master master!

It is curious that the samurai’s serious illness was also the reason for the name change. Only in this case, an exclusive method of naming was used - the patient was called “Buddha Amida”, thereby hoping to appeal to the mercy of the Buddha and defeat the disease. In fights traditional for samurai, each opponent announced his full name before the fight in order to allow the opponent to comprehend and analyze their fighting qualities. A good custom - fighting anonymously is somehow uncomfortable! In reality, this rule was rarely observed. Probably because fights are spontaneous events, and the opponents simply did not have time to get to know each other better.

Modern Japanese names represent many varieties, which certainly contain some of the elements inherited from their ancestors. Japanese male names and their meaning still depend on the serial number under which the boy appeared in the family. The suffixes “ichi” and “kazu” indicate that it was the first-born, “ji” the second male child, “zo” the third, etc. In particular, these are the names Kyuichi, Kenji, Ken-zo. But the Japanese treat the particle “sin” very carefully - in translation it means “death”. A person given a name with such a particle is either doomed to a difficult fate, or makes the fates of other people difficult. So, if you happen to meet a Japanese person who has “shin” in his name, you need to be careful. Without meaning to, he can bring misfortune.

Some Japanese male names and their meanings.

Akeno - Clear morning
Akio - Handsome
Akira - Smart, quick-witted
Akiyama - Autumn, mountain
Amida - Name of Buddha
Arata - Inexperienced

Benjiro - Enjoying the World
Botan - Peony

Dai - Great
Daichi - Great First Son
Daiki - Great Tree
Daisuke - Great Help

Fudo - God of fire and wisdom
Fujita - Field, meadow

Goro - Fifth Son

Haru - Born in Spring
Hachiro - Eighth Son
Hideaki - Brilliant, excellent
Hikaru - Light, shining
Hiroshi - Generous
Hotaka - Name of a mountain in Japan

Ichiro - First Son
Isami - Bravery

Jiro - Second Son
Joben - Loving cleanliness
Jomei - Bringer of Light
Juro - Tenth Son

Kado - Gate
Kanaye - Diligent
Kano - God of water
Katashi - Hardness
Katsu - Victory
Katsuo - Victorious Child
Katsuro - Victorious Son
Kazuki - Joyful World
Kazuo - Dear Son
Keitaro - Blessed One
Ken - Big Man
Ken`ichi - Strong first son
Kenji - Strong Second Son
Kenshin - Heart of the Sword
Kenta - Healthy and brave
Kichiro - Lucky Son
Kin - Golden
Kisho - Having a head on his shoulders
Kiyoshi - Quiet
Kohaku - Amber
Kuro - Ninth Son
Kyo - Consent (or redhead)

Mamoru - Earth
Masa - Straightforward (human)
Masakazu - Masa's first son
Mashiro - Wide
Michio - A man with the strength of three thousand
Miki - Stem
Mikio - Three woven trees
Minoru - Seed
Montaro - Big Guy
Morio - Forest Boy
Nibori - Famous
Nikki - Two trees
Nikko - Daylight

Osamu - Firmness of the Law

Rafu - Network
Raidon - God of Thunder
Renjiro - Honest
Renzo - Third Son
Rinji - Peaceful Forest
Roka - White wave crest
Rokuro - Sixth Son
Ronin - Samurai without a master
Ryo - Excellent
Ryoichi - Ryo's first son
RyoTa - Strong (fat)
Ryozo - Third son of Ryo
Ryuichi - First son of Ryu
Ryuu - Dragon

Saburo - Third Son
Sachio - Fortunately Born
Saniiro - Wonderful
Seiichi - Sei's first son
Sen - Tree Spirit
Shichiro - Seventh Son
Shima - Islander
Shinichi - Shin's first son
Sho - Prosperity
Susumi - Moving forward (successful)

Tadao - Helpful
Takashi - Famous
Takehiko - Bamboo Prince
Takeo - Bamboo-like
Takeshi - Bamboo tree or brave
Takumi - Craftsman
Tama - Gemstone
Taro - Firstborn
Teijo - Fair
Tomeo - Cautious person
Torio - Bird's tail
Toru - Sea
Toshiro - Talented
Toya - House door

Udo - Ginseng
Uyeda - From the rice field (child)

Yasuo - Peaceful
Yoshiro - Perfect Son
Yuki - Snow
Yukio - Cherished by God
Yuu - Noble Blood
Yuudai - Great Hero

Continuing the theme of Japanese names, in this part I will focus on Japanese male names and surnames. I will try to answer the questions: what first and last names are given to Japanese boys? What do they mean and how do they influence their future fate? What Japanese male names are considered "cool" or "samurai" and why? I will also provide an unofficial table of translations of Russian male names into Japanese.

It is known that Russian surnames were mostly formed from family names (Nikanor -> Nikanorov) and nicknames (Bezrodny -> Bezrodov), including those associated with profession (Blacksmith -> Kuznetsov). formed in strict relation to a specific area. Therefore, surnames common in the Kanto region, such as Tanaka (田中 - rice field + middle), Ito (伊藤 - character for Italy + wisteria), Kobayashi (小林 - small + forest), Watanabe (渡辺 - move + side), Yamamoto (山本 - mountain + spring), etc. are less common in the southern regions of Japan. Unusual surnames are more common there, see the table below (information from the website myoji-yurai.net)

Shimane Prefecture	Obina – 帯名 – belt + name
Aichi Prefecture	Oti -越智 – grow + wisdom
Miyazaki Prefecture	Kōhi - 甲斐 – high ambitions
Saga Prefecture	Kōga – 吉賀 – old + holiday
Okinawa Prefecture	Higa – 比嘉 – compare + good

Traditional Japanese male names

In ancient times, Japanese boys were often given names in the order of their birth:

• first son – Ichirō 一郎 (one + son),
• second – Jirō 二郎 – two + son,
• third – Saburō 三郎 - three + son and so on

Ancient Japanese male names, like those of the samurai, are still in demand today. I easily found a site entirely dedicated to these names: http://naming.nobody.jp/category/wafu-otoko.html

Samurai names are distinguished by their intricacy: they often have three hieroglyphs. They also have typical endings. Let me give you a few examples:

1. Genzō - 源蔵 - source of wealth,
2. Naotaro - 直太郎 - correcting mistakes, courageous,
3. Ryunosuke - 竜之介 - striving to be strong like a dragon and many others.

Here are some more ancient traditions regarding male names. One is to use the same last character of the name for all brothers. For example, if the eldest son’s name is Yuma - 悠馬 - calm + horse, then his younger brothers can be called: Kazuma - 和馬 - a hieroglyph denoting everything Japanese + horse, Sakuma - 咲馬 - bloom + horse, Ryoma - 亮馬 - bright + horse. This final hieroglyph seems to unite all the brothers.

The second tradition is to use hieroglyphs from the name of the parent, mainly the father, in the son’s name for continuity in the family. Here I will tell you a true, but not entirely accurate story from my life that reflects this situation. When my husband and I were expecting our first child, we thought for a long time about what name to give him. Since the son was born in Japan, they decided to give him a Japanese name. But the problem was that the husband only has one hieroglyph in his name: 学- Manabu - teach, study. It is not used as a name in combination with other hieroglyphs. I'm a foreigner. The Japanese came up with hieroglyphs for me: 織雅 – Origa – canvas + elegant. But since I do not have Japanese citizenship, these hieroglyphs are not in the documents.

However, this made us think that the character for "elegant" 雅 would be good for a son's name. So he became Ryuga – 龍雅 – dragon + elegant. The second child also turned out to be a son. The beautiful name Kōga – 皇雅 – majestic + elegant was already taken by our recently born nephew. Therefore, we gave the second son the name Taiga - 太雅 - courageous + elegant, following the ancient tradition. In addition, the pronunciation of the name is close to the English tiger, that is, tiger. It would be possible to include the hieroglyph for “tiger” in the name, but that would be too “brilliant” a name.

Nowadays, the above traditions are gradually being lost: brothers are given completely different unrelated names. This approach is considered more modern.

Modern Japanese male names

Nowadays, the use of foreign names is considered modern and elegant. At the same time, not all parents have the courage to give their child a foreign name. Nevertheless, such a percentage exists. Most often, such names are given to children born in an international marriage. Globalization also made its contribution to this process. A foreign name may also prompt the desire to make a world-class professional out of a child or, depending on the city of the couple’s honeymoon.

According to the rules, foreign words, including names, are written using the katakana alphabet. But along with this, there is also a way to select hieroglyphs by sound, as in the Chinese language. Perhaps this is a legacy of the Meiji Restoration, when the Japanese, like sponges, absorbed new information pouring in from the West. Here is a small list of such borrowed Japanese-English names (see the original). http://nisshin-geppo.com/international-name/).

American male names in Japanese:

Name, character, destiny...

When coming up with a name for a child, the Japanese pay great attention to choosing the right hieroglyphs... Through the meaning of these hieroglyphs, they try to give the child certain qualities in the future: kindness, courage, compassion, strength and much more. Also, various natural objects are sometimes included in the name: sea, sky, animals and plants. Thus, the sea conveys the breadth of vision, the sky speaks of serenity and endless life, animals endow their bearer with strength and endurance, and plants give strength and health. Using the example of famous Japanese from different eras, let's trace the connection between their name, character and fate.

In my opinion, the most striking illustration of this principle is the life and fate of Toyotomi Hideyoshi (豊臣 秀吉 - abundance + servant, excellent + ancient) - one of the unifiers of Japan and great military and political figures. Coming from a simple peasant family, throughout his life, along with the growth of his personal status, he changed his name, strengthening his position and exalting himself.

So, at birth he was given the name Hiyoshimaru (日吉丸 - day, sun + ancient + circle, indicator of a male name). But the poor peasants did not have surnames. As a child, Hideyoshi also had a nickname for "monkey" - Saru 猿. When he grew up, he ran away from his home to become a samurai. The reason was the mistreatment of his stepfather (Hideyoshi's mother remarried). From then on, he began to call himself Kinoshita Kōkichirō (木下藤吉郎 - the surname literally means “under the tree”, and the name – wisteria + old + indicator of a male name).

Ttoyotomi Hideyoshi

There are two versions about the origin of his surname. According to one version, Hideyoshi chose his surname by analogy with the surname of his new overlord Matsushita (松下 - literally “under the pine tree”). According to another, due to the fact that he entered into a contract with another famous unifier of Japan, Oda Nobunaga, standing under a huge tree. One way or another, he appropriated the name Hideyoshi to himself only when he had significantly advanced through the ranks. The promotion of the son of an unknown peasant in the service of Oda Nobunaga became possible only thanks to the exceptional military talent of Hideyoshi.

The fact is that Nobunaga evaluated his subordinates only by their abilities, without paying attention to their origin. This fact played a major role in the career of the future “great minister”. When Nobunaga handed over the lands to him, he again changed his surname from Kinoshita to Hashiba (羽柴 - wings + bush) taking kanji from the surnames of two people he respected: Niwa 丹羽 and Shibata 柴田. Continuing to unite the disparate Japanese principalities, Hideyoshi again changed his surname to Fujiwara (藤原 - wisteria + spring). The reason was that the characters Taira 平 - calm, unchanging, Geng 原 - source and Hashi 橋 - bridge were used only in the names of royal vassals. That is, he wanted to become closer to the ruling elite.

When the unification of Japan was completed, Hideyoshi, who became the regent-kampaku, received the royal surname Toyotomi from the Emperor himself. And although the Toyotomi family will be interrupted in just one generation, the story of Hideyoshi is a story of greatness and the name plays an important role here. Information taken from the page http://www12.plala.or.jp/rekisi/hideyosi-namae.html

I will give a list of outstanding Japanese people of various talents and professions (surnames are borrowed from Wikipedia) and a literal translation of their names:

Historical figures

• Miyamoto Musashi — 宮本 武蔵 – castle + root, warrior + wealth- Japanese ronin, considered one of the most famous swordsmen in Japanese history.
• Sakamoto Ryoma – 坂本 龍馬 – slope + root, dragon + horse- Japanese political and public figure of the Edo period. One of Japan's national heroes.
• Hirohito 裕仁 – abundance + virtue- Emperor of Japan (Showa 1926 - 1989). Hirohito's time in power was the longest in Japanese history; During his reign, a radical transformation of Japanese society took place.

Cultural figures

• Ken Watanabe — 渡辺 謙 - move + sideways, outlook- Japanese actor. He is best known abroad for his roles as rebel leader Daimyo Katsumoto in The Last Samurai (nominated for an Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor), General Kuribayashi in Letters from Iwo Jima, and businessman Saito in Inception.
• Takeshi Kitano 北野 武 north + field, warrior- Japanese film director and actor. Director's works: "Fireworks", "Yakuza Brother", "Zatoichi".
• Hayao Miyazaki 宮崎 駿 castle + peninsula, fleet-footed- Japanese animation director. Together with Isao Takahata, he founded the animation studio Studio Ghibli. Winner of an Oscar (2003) and an honorary Oscar for outstanding achievements in cinema (2014).

• Kitaro 喜多郎 –joy + a lot + indicator of a male name(real name Masanori Takahashi 高橋 正則 - high bridge, correct + law) - Japanese composer, multi-instrumentalist, Grammy Award winner (2000) for best new age album.
• Haruki Murakami — 村上 春樹 – village + up, spring + tree- popular modern Japanese writer and translator.
• Utagawa Hiroshige 歌川 広重 – song + river, wide + heavy(real name Ando Hiroshige 安藤 広重 - calm + wisteria, wide + heavy) - one of the most famous and revered masters of Japanese painting and engraving, a representative of the ukiyo-e movement, a master of color woodcuts. Author of no less than 5400 engravings. In lyrical chamber landscapes with genre motifs, he conveyed the unstable states of nature, the atmospheric effects of snow and fog.
• Kenzo Takada 高田 賢三 tall + field, agile + three- Japanese fashion designer and designer, founder of the Kenzo brand.

Athletes

• Morihei Ueshiba — 植芝 盛平- plant + grass, ardent + unchanging(also known as the Great Teacher) - founder of Aikido.
• Osamu Watanabe — 渡辺 長武 — move + side, long + warrior- Japanese freestyle wrestler, Olympic champion, two-time world champion, Asian Games champion. One of the greatest pound-for-pound wrestlers in history. He has never been defeated in his career. With 189 victories in 189 official fights, he was included in the Guinness Book of Records. Moreover, throughout his entire career he has not lost a single point to anyone.
• Keisuke Honda — 本田 圭佑 – root + field, resultant + helper- Japanese footballer, midfielder of the Italian club Milan and the Japanese national team. Participant of the 2010 World Cup, winner and best player of the 2011 Asian Cup.
• Hanyu Yuzuru — 羽生 結弦 – wings + life, connected + string- Japanese singles skater. The first skater to surpass 100 points in the short program, 200 points in the free skate and 300 points in the total program.

Scientists

• Hideki Yukawa — 湯川 秀樹 – warm + river, gifted + tree- Japanese theoretical physicist. Winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics (1949) “for the prediction of the existence of mesons based on theoretical work on nuclear forces” (Yukawa Potential).
• Michio Kaku — 加來 道雄 add + freshness, path + male name index- American scientist, specialist in the field of theoretical physics. Known as an active popularizer of science and author of popular science books.

Businessmen

• Kiichiro Toyoda — 豊田 喜一郎 – wealth + field, joy + first son- Japanese businessman. Founder of Toyota.

• Iwasaki Yataro — 岩崎 弥太郎 – rock + peninsula, spread + courageous + masculine name indicator- Japanese entrepreneur, founder of the Mitsubishi industrial and trading corporation.
• Hiroshi Yamauchi — 山内 溥 – mountain + inside, swim across- Japanese businessman. Former head of Nintendo.
• Soichiro Honda — 本田宗一郎 – root + field, sect + first son- Japanese entrepreneur, founder of the Honda company.
• Konosuke Matsushita — 松下 幸之助 – pine + below, a man who brings happiness- Japanese businessman. Founder of Panasonic Corporation (Matsushita Electric).

Translation of Russian names for boys into Japanese

Strictly speaking, there are no translations of Russian names into Japanese. Foreign names in Japan are written using katakana. In this case, the pronunciation changes noticeably due to the discrepancy between the letters of the Russian alphabet and katakana characters. For example, in the Japanese alphabet there are no letters “l”, “k”, “m” or “t”, but there are, for example, “ru”, “ku”, “ma” or “to”. That is, to put it simply, their syllables are letters. And not all syllables possible in Russian exist in Japanese. In order not to be unfounded, I will give examples of how Russian men would be called by their Japanese friends:

• Oleg will become "Ore:ggu"
• Alexander and Alexey will most likely be called simply “Arekusu”
• They will call the current president of Russia “Buradmira.”

And who are “Pabe:ru”, “Konsutanchi:n” and “Bareri” you can guess for yourself.

Perhaps only Anton, Boris, Denis, Nikita, Roman, Semyon, Sergei, Yuri and Yana were lucky. The pronunciation of their names will undergo the least changes in Japan. With some experience and skill, you can learn the “Japanese” pronunciation of Russian words. Nevertheless, at the request of the workers, I will provide a table of translations of Russian male names into Japanese. This table is compiled on the principle of comparing the meaning of names. Names from the same line have approximately the same meanings and completely different pronunciations. However, this hypothetical comparison of names was a good exercise for me in Japanese. Japanese names selected using the site: https://b-name.jp/

Samurai embodied the image of an ideal warrior who revered culture and laws, and who took his chosen path in life seriously. When a samurai failed his master or himself, according to local customs he had to be subjected to the ritual of “seppuku” - ritual suicide, i.e. hara-kiri.

1. Hojo Ujitsuna (1487 - 1541)

Ujitsuna sparked a long-standing feud with the Uesugi clan - the owner of Edo Castle, which has now grown into the giant metropolis of Tokyo, but then it was an ordinary castle covering a fishing village. Having taken over Edo Castle, Ujitsuna managed to spread his family's influence throughout the Kanto region (the most populous island of Japan, where the capital of the state is located - Tokyo) and by the time of his death in 1541, the Hojo clan was one of the most powerful and dominant families in Japan

2. Hattori Hanzo (1542 - 1596)

This name may be familiar to fans of Quentin Tarantino, since it was based on the real life biography of Hattori Hanzo that Quentin created the image of the swordsman for the film Kill Bill. Starting at the age of 16, he fought for survival, participating in many battles. Hanzo was devoted to Tokugawa Ieyasu, saving the life of this man more than once, who later founded the shogunate, which ruled Japan for more than 250 years (1603 - 1868). Throughout Japan he is known as a great and devoted samurai who has become a legend. His name can be found carved at the entrance to the imperial palace.

3. Uesugi Kenshin (1530 - 1578)

Uesugi Kenshin was a strong military leader and also the leader of the Nagao clan. He was distinguished by his outstanding ability as a commander, resulting in his troops achieving many victories on the battlefield. His rivalry with Takeda Shingen, another warlord, was one of the most widely known in history during the Sengoku period. They feuded for 14 years, during which time they engaged in several one-on-one fights. Kenshin died in 1578, the circumstances of his death remain unclear. Modern historians believe it was something similar to stomach cancer.

4. Shimazu Yoshihisa (1533 - 1611)

This is another Japanese warlord who lived throughout the bloody Sengoku period. While still a young man, he established himself as a talented commander, a trait that later allowed him and his comrades to capture most of the Kyushu region. Yoshihisa became the first to unite the entire Kyushu region; it was subsequently defeated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (a military and political figure, the unifier of Japan) and his 200,000-strong army.

5. Mori Motonari (1497 - 1571)

Mori Motonari grew up in relative obscurity, but this did not stop him from taking control of several of the largest clans in Japan and becoming one of the most feared and powerful warlords of the Sengoku period. His appearance on the general stage was sudden, and equally unexpected was the series of victories he won over strong and respected opponents. He eventually captured 10 of the 11 provinces in the Chugoku region. Many of his victories were against much larger and more experienced opponents, making his feats even more impressive.

6. Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

Miyamoto Musashi was a samurai whose words and opinions still mark modern Japan. Today he is known as the author of The Book of Five Rings, which describes the strategy and philosophy of samurai in battle. He was the first to use a new fighting style in the sword technique of kenjutsu, calling it niten ichi, when the fight is fought with two swords. According to legend, he traveled through ancient Japan, and during his travels he managed to win many fights. His ideas, strategies, tactics and philosophy are the subject of study to this day.

7. Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536 - 1598)

Toyotomi Hideyoshi is considered one of Japan's Founding Fathers, one of three men whose actions helped unify Japan and end the long and bloody Sengoku era. Hideyoshi succeeded his former master Oda Nobunaga, and began to implement social and cultural reforms that determined the future direction of Japan for a period of 250 years. He banned sword ownership by non-samurai, and also began a nationwide search for all swords and other weapons that were henceforth to belong only to samurai. Although this concentrated all military power in the hands of the samurai, such a move was a huge breakthrough towards general peace since the reign of the Sengoku era.

8. Takeda Shingen (1521 - 1573)

Takeda Shingen was perhaps the most dangerous commander of the entire Sengoku era. When it turned out that his father was going to leave everything to his other son, Shingen allied himself with several other powerful samurai clans, which pushed him to expand beyond his home province of Kai. Shingen became one of the few who were able to defeat the army of Oda Nabunaga, who at that time was successfully capturing other territories of Japan. He died in 1573, suffering from illness, but by this point he was well on his way to consolidating power over all of Japan.