Japanese names. Famous samurai of Japan Beautiful Japanese male names in English

Composing a harmonious combination of surname and given name for the Japanese is a complex science with long traditions. In Japan, there is a special set of names consisting of more than two thousand hieroglyphs. Until now, parents turn to specialists - compilers of Japanese names. Usually the names of boys and girls living in the same village are never repeated. There is no concept of “namesake” in Japan. The concept of “fashionable names” did not exist among the Japanese, with the exception of “ordinal” male names. This may be due to the fact that the Japanese use their surnames much more often than their personal names.

First Last Name, then First Name

They consist of two parts: the family name, which is written and pronounced first, and the personal name, which, according to Eastern tradition, comes second. often write their names in “European order” (personal name, and then surname of the clan), if they write them in (Latin) or Kiridzi (Cyrillic). For convenience, the Japanese sometimes write their surname in capital letters so that it is not confused with their given name. Europeans, who rarely pay attention to the etymology of their own names, constantly face difficulties associated with reading, translating and transcribing Japanese names and surnames. can tell you how to read their names, but do not always dare to translate the nominal hieroglyphs into foreign languages. The Japanese are creative when it comes to the names of foreigners: Svetlana may not recognize herself in “Suetorana” or Carmen will not immediately respond to the Japanese “Karumen”.

How did the surnames come about?

Until the second half of the 19th century, only aristocrats (kuge) and samurai (bushi) had them. The rest of the Japanese population went by personal names and nicknames. The number of aristocratic families in Japan is limited and has remained unchanged since antiquity. The most notable clans of Japanese aristocrats are, collectively called “Gosetsuke”: Konoe, Takashi, Kujo, Ichijo and Gojo. There are about one hundred thousand surnames, of which more than seventy thousand appeared only 130 years ago. ("Enlightened Government") in 1868–1911. Emperor Mutsuhito ordered all Japanese peasants, artisans and merchants to choose any surname. Some Japanese, instead of their surname, wrote down the name of the city or village in which they lived, others “for the surname” took the name of the store or workshop in which they worked. Creative people came up with sonorous surnames for themselves. Most of the surnames of modern Japanese are associated with peasant life, rice growing and processing. For example, the surname Hakamada consists of two characters: “hakama” (the lower part of a traditional Japanese suit, men’s pants or a woman’s skirt) and “da” (“rice field”). Judging by the “peasant” meaning of the hieroglyphs, it can be assumed that Irina Khakamada’s ancestors were field workers.

In Japan, you can meet people with the common surname Ito and exactly the same name Ito (translated as “dandy, dandy, Italy”). But such coincidences are very rare.

The only exception is Emperor Akihito ("Showing Mercy") and his family members. The “symbol of the nation” of Japan never had a surname.

Samurai names

In the 12th century, the first military usurper in the history of Japan was the shogun-samurai Minamoto no Yoritomo, or Yoritomo of the Minamoto clan (translated as “source”), who marked the beginning of the formation of a privileged samurai class.

Personal names were chosen depending on life circumstances: promotion, relocation due to service, etc. The fall of the last Tokugawa ("River of Virtue") shogunate and the transfer of power to Emperor Mutsuhito secured the exclusive privileges of the military for many years.

Until the 19th century, in addition to complete impunity and the possibility of easy money, they had the right to give names to their vassals. The names of samurai servants and peasants were often given “in order”: Ichiro - first son, Jiro - second, Saburo - third, Shiro - fourth, Goro - fifth, etc. In addition to “-ro”, the suffixes “-emon”, “-ji”, “-zo”, “-suke”, “-be” were used. Modern Japanese male names also carry information about the “serial number” of the son in the family. The suffixes “-ichi” and “-kazu” (“first son”), “-ji” (“second son”) and “-zo” (“third son”) are still often used in Japanese male names.

It is not customary to call people the same and distinguish them by serial number, like commoners. According to the old tradition, they are composed with the second hieroglyph “compassion, mercy, empathy.” Emperor Mutsuhito's name is a combination of two characters for "friendly, warm" and "compassionate". Emperor Hirohito, who ruled Japan from 1926 to 1989, was raised by samurai, veterans of the Russo-Japanese War. After the collapse of the empire, the nuclear bombing of the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the complete and unconditional surrender of Hirohito (roughly - “Abundant Mercy”), in a state of “deep shock,” showed compassion for his own people, appealed to the mercy of the victors and renounced his divine origin.

Since the 19th and 20th centuries, the rich and powerful have retained the highest positions in civil and military government. Others became the founders of Japanese entrepreneurship. Part of the creative intelligentsia was formed from the samurai environment. All personal names of aristocrats and high-ranking samurai consisted of two hieroglyphs with a “noble” meaning. For example, the name of the son of military instructor Kurosawa (“Black Swamp”) Akira (“light”, “clear”) can be roughly translated into Russian as “light in the darkness” or “illumination”. Perhaps only thanks to the aptly given name, an artist by training became a director, a classic of Japanese and world cinema, changing our understanding of the world (“swamp”).

Most Japanese female names end in “-ko” (“child”) or “-mi” (“beauty”). Japanese women are often given names associated with everything beautiful, pleasant and feminine, graceful.
Unlike male names, female names are usually written not in “solemn” characters, but simply in hiragana (the Japanese alphabet used to write Chinese and Japanese words).

So, a new list of names

New generations of educated Japanese parents have long sought to expand the old list of personal characters in order to create completely new, interesting and original names for their children. In September 2004, the Japanese received an additional list - more than 500 hieroglyphs to compile the official name of little Japanese. The new list of personal characters, compiled in the offices of the Japanese Ministry of Justice, included very extravagant characters. Among the “new products” appeared hieroglyphs with strange meanings for names: “beetle”, “frog”, “spider”, “turnip”.

The child-loving Japanese were seriously indignant. Then Ministry of Justice of Japan urgently reported that several strange hieroglyphs were excluded from the new list of names: “cancerous tumor”, “prostitute”, “buttock”, “hemorrhoids”, “curse”, “debauchery”, “malice”, etc. Some citizens of the Land of the Rising Sun to The “name scandal” was treated with complete indifference. every adult Japanese can take a pseudonym, and after death, almost all Japanese receive new, posthumous names (kaimyo), which are written on a special wooden tablet (ihai) - the embodiment of the spirit of the deceased. Most Japanese believe in reincarnation and try not to worry about the fleeting little things in life, even something as important as a personal name. Perhaps this is why the Japanese rarely give their children the names of their venerable ancestors.

Modern Japanese names consist of two parts - the surname, which comes first, and the given name, which comes second. True, the Japanese often write their names in “European order” (first name - surname) if they write them in romaji. For convenience, the Japanese sometimes write their last name in CAPITAL letters so that it is not confused with their first name (due to the inconsistency described above).
The exception is the emperor and members of his family. They don't have a last name. Girls who marry princes also lose their surnames.

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 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.

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" meaning "first son" are often used, as are 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. For several years now, parliament has been discussing an amendment to the Civil Code allowing spouses to keep premarital surnames. However, so far she cannot get the required number of votes.

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.

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

Taira no Kiyomori was a general and warrior who created the first samurai administrative system of government in Japanese history. Before Kiyomori, samurai were primarily seen as mercenary warriors for aristocrats. Kiyomori took the Taira clan under his protection after his father's death in 1153, and quickly achieved success in politics, in which he had previously held only a minor position.

In 1156, Kiyomori and Minamoto no Yoshimoto (chief of the Minamoto clan) suppressed the rebellion and began to rule the two highest warrior clans in Kyoto. Their alliance turned them into bitter rivals, and in 1159 Kiyomori defeated Yoshimoto. Thus, Kiyomori became the head of the most powerful warrior clan in Kyoto.

He rose through the ranks of government, and in 1171 he married his daughter to Emperor Takakura. In 1178, they had a child, the son Tokihito. Kiyomori later used this leverage to force Emperor Takakura to give up his throne to Prince Tokihito, as well as his allies and relatives. But in 1181 he died of fever in 1181.

11. Ii Naomasa (1561 – 1602)

Ii Naomasa was a famous general and daimyo during the Sengoku period under the reign of shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. He was considered one of the Tokugawa Four Heavenly Kings, or Ieyasu's most loyal and respected generals. Naomasa's father was killed after he was wrongly convicted of treason when Naomasa was a small child.

Ii Naomasa rose through the ranks of the Tokugawa clan and gained great recognition after he led 3,000 soldiers to victory at the Battle of Nagakute (1584). He fought so hard that he even received praise from the opposing general, Toyotomi Hideyoshi. After he helped secure the Tokugawa victory during the Siege of Odawara (1590), he received Minowa Castle and 120,000 koku (an ancient Japanese unit of area), the largest tract of land owned by any Tokugawa vassal.

Naomasa's finest hour came during the Battle of Sekigahara, where he was wounded by a stray bullet. After this injury, he could not fully recover, but continued to fight for life. His unit became known as the "Red Devils", for their blood-red armor, which they wore in battle for psychological effect.

10. Date Masamune (1567 - 1636)

Date Masamune was a ruthless and cruel daimyo in the early Edo period. He was an outstanding tactician and legendary warrior, and his figure became even more iconic due to his lost eye, for which he was often called the "One-Eyed Dragon".

As the eldest son of the Date clan, he was expected to take his father's place. But due to the loss of his eye after smallpox, Masamune's mother considered him unfit to rule, and the second son in the family took control, causing a rift in the Date family.

After several early victories as a general, Masamune established himself as a recognized leader and began a campaign to defeat all of his clan's neighbors. When a neighboring clan asked Terumune, his father, to rein in his son, Terumune said he would not do so. Terumune was subsequently kidnapped, but before that he gave instructions that his son should kill all members of the enemy clan if something like that happened, even if his father was killed during the battle. Masamune obeyed, killing everyone.

Masamune served Toyotomi Hideyoshi for some time and then defected to Tokugawa Ieyasu's allies after Hideyoshi's death. He was faithful to both. Although it is surprising, Masamune was a patron of culture and religion, and even maintained friendly relations with the Pope.

9. Hattori Hanzo (1542 - 1596)

2. Honda Tadakatsu (1548 - 1610)

In Japan, as in many Asian countries, they use a name system that is quite familiar to us, but a little backwards. The Japanese indicate the surname first, and then the personal name. If in Russian it is customary to call Ivan Sidorov, then in Japan it would sound Sidorov Ivan.

As you can see the difference is small. However, when translating from Japanese, this is quite important and young translators sometimes make annoying mistakes. The names of women and men in Japan differ greatly in structure. Personal names are one of the most difficult skills in Japanese.

Modern Japanese culture has undergone a very strong change. If earlier traditions were quite strong in the field of names, now they have completely lost ground. Increasingly, when choosing a Japanese name for a boy, parents turn to modern cultural phenomena. This is how in Japan names from cartoons and comics are used, which even quite old people are fond of.

To transliterate Japanese into Cyrillic characters, the “Polivanov system” is used. This is a transliteration system developed by orientalist Polivanov. It was introduced back in 1930 and since then has been considered the standard in Russian practice. Moreover, it often happens that some sources transliterate transliteration. Let's say they take an English translation and transliterate proper names from it. This often leads to confusion in first and last names in translations.

Japanese boy names popular in 2009-2011

List of Japanese male names, their spelling and meaning.

We have compiled a list of names that are quite popular in Japan. This is of course not the entire list of available names, but displays the most used names of the land of the rising sun. We hope you find this information useful.