Japanese place names include names for geographic features, present and former administrative divisions, transportation facilities such as railroad stations, and historic sites in Japan. The article Japanese addressing system contains related information on postal addresses. In geography and cartography, a toponym is a place name, a geographical name, a proper name of locality, region, or some other part of Earths surface or its natural or artificial feature. ... The Japanese addressing system is used to identify a specific location in Japan. ...

Each name usually ends with a suffix specific to a kind of place, as follows.

• -fu for an "urban prefecture." There are two: Ōsaka-fu and Kyōto-fu (Ōsaka Prefecture, Kyōto Prefecture, respectively)
• -gun for a district
• -shi for a city
• -machi or -chō for a town. Can be a local government or a non-governmental division of a larger city
• -mura or -son for a village; e.g., Kamikuishiki-mura (Kamikuishiki). Can be a local government or a nongovernmental division of a larger city or town
• -ken for a prefecture; e.g., Yamanashi-ken (Yamanashi Prefecture)
• -to for Tōkyō-to (Tōkyō)
• -ku for a ward of a city; e.g., Naka-ku in Hiroshima. Also for one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo; these are separate local governments nearly equivalent to cities

Some names contain a word indicating a direction: ÅŒsaka Prefecture (大阪府 ÅŒsaka-fu) is part of the Kinki region on Honshu island, Japan. ... Kyōto Prefecture (京都府; Kyōto-fu) is part of the Kinki region on Honshu island, Japan. ... A district (郡; gun) was the administrative unit during the period from 1890 to 1923, which is roughly equivalent to the county of the United States, and was ranked at the level below prefecture and above city, town or village. ... This article is about the Japanese municipality system. ... A town (町 chō) is a local administrative unit in Japan. ... A village (村 mura or son) is a local administrative unit in Japan. ... Kamikuishiki (上九一色村; -mura) is a village located in Nishiyatsushiro District, Yamanashi, Japan. ... Map of the prefectures of Japan in ISO 3166-2:JP order. ... Yamanashi Prefecture (山梨県 Yamanashi-ken) is located in the Chubu region on Honshu island, Japan. ... The modern skyline of Tokyo is highly decentralized. ... Main keep of Hiroshima Castle The city of Hiroshima (広島市; -shi) is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chugoku region of western Honshu, the largest of Japans islands. ... The 23 special wards (特別区 tokubetsuku) are self-governing, special municipalities in the central and most populous part of Tokyo, Japan. ...

• chūō or naka- - central; e.g., Yokosuka Chūō; Naka Okachimachi
• higashi - east
• kita - north; e.g., kita-ku literally means a ward at north
• minami - south
• nishi - west
• u ("right") and sa ("left"), directions relative to the Kyōto Imperial Palace (and from the viewpoint of the Emperor, who faces south, so that sa is east and u is west): Sakyō-ku, Ukyō-ku

Other names contain a word indicating the time when a settlement arose: A view of Yokosuka City, from Verny Park. ... Kyoto Gosho (京都御所), or Kyoto Palace, was the Imperial Palace of Japan for much of its history, from the Heian Period, when the Imperial capital was moved from Nara to Heian-kyo, now called Kyoto, until the Meiji Restoration, when the capital was moved to Tokyo. ... His Majesty Emperor Akihito of Japan The Emperor of Japan (天皇 tennō) is a constitutionally-recognized symbol of the Japanese nation and the unity of its people. ... Sakyo-ku(左京区）is one of the 11 wards in the city of Kyoto, in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. ... Ukyo (右京区; -ku) is a ward located in Kyoto, Japan. ...

• hon or moto - the original; e.g., Fuchu Honmachi; Moto Hachioji
• shin - new

Geographic features figure prominently in Japanese place names. Some examples are Fuchū (府中市 -shi) is a city in Tokyo prefecture, Japan. ... Hachiōji (八王子市; -shi) is a city located in Tokyo, Japan, about 40 km west of the center of Tokyo. ...

• hanto for a peninsula; e.g., Izu Hanto
• ishi or iwa for a rock; e.g., Ishikawa Prefecture; Iwate Prefecture
• izumi for a spring; e.g., Hiraizumi, Iwate
• kaikyō for a strait; e.g., Bungo kaikyō
• kawa or -gawa for a river; e.g., Asakawa
• ko for a lake; e.g., Biwako
• nada for a sea
• oka for a hill; e.g., Fukuoka
• saki or misaki for a promontory
• san or -zan for a mountain; e.g., Asosan
• sawa or -zawa for a stream; e.g., Mizusawa, Iwate
• shima or -jima or tō for an island; e.g., Ie-shima, Iwo Jima, Okinawa Honto
• tani or -dani for a valley
• wan for a headland or bay; e.g., Sagami-wan
• yama for a mountain; e.g., Yamanashi Prefecture

Other words that express the natural world or agriculture often appear in place names: Peninsula A peninsula is a geographical formation consisting of an extension of land from a larger body, surrounded by water on three sides. ... Location. ... Ishikawa Prefecture (石川県 Ishikawa-ken) is located in the Chubu region on Honshu island, Japan. ... Iwate Prefecture (岩手県; Iwate-ken) is located in the Tohoku region on Honshu island, Japan. ... A natural spring. ... Hiraizumi (平泉町; -chou) is a town located in Nishiiwai District, Iwate, Japan. ... Simplified diagram A strait is a narrow channel of water that connects two larger bodies of water, and thus lies between two land masses. ... Bungo (豊後国; Bungo no kuni) was an old province of Japan in eastern Kyushu, which bordered on Buzen, Hyuga, Higo, Chikugo, and Chikuzen provinces. ... The Murray River in Australia. ... A lake is a body of water surrounded by land. ... Reeds on the shore of Lake Biwa Lake Biwa, or Biwa-ko (琵琶湖), is the largest fresh water lake in Japan, located in Shiga Prefecture, northeast of the former capital city of Kyoto. ... Sunset at sea Look up Sea on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Look up maritime in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A hill in Hungary with a hillside vintage garden For the landform that extends less than 600 metres above the surrounding terrain and that is smaller than a mountain, see the mountain article. ... View of downtown Fukuoka as seen from an observation deck in Minami-ku, facing north. ... The term promontory has several similar meanings in English, including geographical names: A promontory is a prominent mass of land which overlooks lower lying land or a body of water (e. ... Mount McKinley in Alaska has one of the largest visible base-to-summit elevation differences anywhere A mountain is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain in a limited area. ... Mt. ... Running Stream The primary meaning of stream is a body of water, confined within a bed and banks and having a detectable current. ... Mizusawa (水沢市; -shi) is a city located in Iwate, Japan. ... Ie-shima (伊江島 -island) is an island in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. ... Landsat photo of Iwo Jima, circa 2000 Iwo Jima   listen[?] (Japanese 硫黄島 Iōtō, or Iōjima, meaning sulfur island) is a volcanic island in Japan, part of the Volcano Islands (also known as the Ogasawara Islands), approximately 650 nautical miles (1200 km) south of Tokyo (24. ... Okinawa Island (沖縄本島 Okinawa-hontō, the main island of Okinawa) is the largest of the Ryukyu Islands at the edge of the East China Sea, helping to define the seas boundary with the open Pacific Ocean. ... Fljótsdalur in East-Iceland A valley is a landform, which can range from a few square miles (square kilometers) to hundreds or even thousands of square miles (square kilometers) in area. ... The bay at San Sebastián, Spain A headland is an area of land adjacent to water on three sides. ... Sagami Bay (相模湾, Sagami-wan), also known as the Sagami Gulf or Sagami Sea, lies south of Kanagawa Prefecture in Honshu, central Japan, with the Miura Peninsula to its east and the Izu Peninsula to its west. ... Mount McKinley in Alaska has one of the largest visible base-to-summit elevation differences anywhere A mountain is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain in a limited area. ... Yamanashi Prefecture (山梨県 Yamanashi-ken) is located in the Chubu region on Honshu island, Japan. ...

• ki or -gi for a tree; e.g., Tochigi Prefecture
• matsu for a pine tree; e.g. Takamatsu
• mori for a forest; e.g., Aomori Prefecture
• sugi for a sugi tree; e.g., Suginami
• ta or -da for a rice paddy; e.g. Tajima Province

Names and parts of names of former provinces appear in many modern place names: The coniferous Coast Redwood, the tallest tree species on earth A tree can be defined as a large, perennial, woody plant. ... Tochigi Prefecture (栃木県 Tochigi-ken) is a located in the Kanto region on the island of Honshu, Japan. ... Species About 115. ... Takamatsu (高松市; -shi lit. ... A dense growth of softwoods (a forest) in the Sierra Nevada Range of Northern California A forest (A.K.A. woods) is an area with a high density of trees (or, historically, a wooded area set aside for hunting). ... At Osorezan Aomori Prefecture (青森県 Aomoriken or frequently Aomori-ken) is located in the Tohoku region of Japan. ... Binomial name Cryptomeria japonica (L. f. ... Suginami (杉並区; -ku) is a special ward located in Tokyo, Japan. ... A rice paddy in Japan A paddy field is a flooded parcel of farmland for growing rice (from the Malaysian word padi, a noun meaning growing rice). Paddy fields are a typical feature of rice-growing countries of East and Southeast Asia, such as China, Thailand, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia... Categories: Japan geography stubs | Old provinces of Japan ... Before the modern prefecture system was established, the land of Japan was divided into tens of kuni (国, countries). ...

• Yamato kōriyama, a city in Nara Prefecture
• Kaga, a city in Ishikawa Prefecture
• Hitachi naka, a city in Ibaraki Prefecture
• Sagami River in Kanagawa Prefecture
• Tango Peninsula in Kyoto
• Chūetsu, part of Niigata Prefecture and location of the 2004 Chuetsu Earthquake: its name incorporates a kanji from Echigo Province (as do many other place names in the region)

Medieval Japan had many towns that fell into three categories: castle towns, post towns, harbor towns. In addition, the rise of commerce contributed to some place names. Here are some parts of names connected with medieval Japan: Yamato (大和) is a province of Japan, which covers area of present Nara Prefecture. ... Yamatokōriyama (大和郡山市; -shi) is a city located in Nara, Japan. ... Nara Prefecture (奈良県; Nara-ken) is part of the Kinki region on Honshu Island, Japan. ... This article is about the city in Ishikawa prefecture, for the former province of Japan, see Kaga province. ... Ishikawa Prefecture (石川県 Ishikawa-ken) is located in the Chubu region on Honshu island, Japan. ... Categories: Japan geography stubs | Old provinces of Japan ... Hitachinaka (ひたちなか市; -shi) is a city located in Ibaraki, Japan. ... Ibaraki Prefecture (茨城県; Ibaraki-ken) is located in the Kanto region on Honshu island, Japan. ... Kanagawa Prefecture (神奈川県; Kanagawa-ken) is a geographic and political area located in the Kanto region on Honshu island, Japan. ... Categories: Japan geography stubs | Old provinces of Japan ... Kyōto Prefecture (京都府; Kyōto-fu) is part of the Kinki region on Honshu island, Japan. ... Niigata Prefecture (新潟県; Niigata-ken) is located on Honshu island, Japan. ... The Chuetsu Earthquakes (中越地震) began at 5:56 p. ... The article incorporates text from OpenHistory. ...

• ichi, a market; e.g., Yokkaichi: "fourth-day market"
• -jō, a castle. Place names like Jōhoku, Jōsai, and Jōnan (giving directions relative to the castle) are common throughout Japan.
• minato for a harbor; e.g., Minato, Tokyo
• shuku or -juku, a post or station town on a medieval highway; e.g., Shinjuku

Many names in Hokkaido originated from words in the Ainu language, a native language, as people in mainland Japan conquered and colonized Hokkaido in the Edo period and Meiji period. Examples of geographic features are -nai and -betsu meaning "river" as in the names Wakkanai and Noboribetsu. The name Esashi comes from the Ainu word esaushi, meaning "cape." Some other names come from places in other parts of Japan because in the past people immigrated as a group to Hokkaido, and they give the new settlement a name reminiscent of their old home. Examples include Hiroshima and Date, Hokkaido. Yokkaichi (四日市市; -shi) is a city located in Mie, Japan. ... A harbor (AmE), harbour (CwE) or haven is a place where ships may shelter from the weather or are stored. ... Minato (港区; -ku) is a special ward located in Tokyo, Japan. ... Skyscrapers in West Shinjuku Neon signs along Yasukuni-dori in Shinjuku In daytime. ... Hokkaido   listen? (北海道 Hokkaidō, literal meaning: North Sea Route, Ainu: Mosir), formerly known as Ezo, is the second largest island of Japan. ... The Ainu language (Ainu: アイヌ イタㇰ, aynu itak; Japanese: アイヌ語, ainu-go) is spoken by the Ainu ethnic group on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido. ... ... The Edo period (江戸時代, Edo-jidai) is a division of Japanese history running from 1600 to 1867. ... History of Japan Paleolithic Jomon Yayoi Yamato period ---Kofun period ---Asuka period Nara period Heian period Kamakura period Muromachi period Azuchi-Momoyama period ---Nanban period Edo period Meiji period Taisho period Showa period ---Japanese expansionism ---Occupied Japan ---Post-Occupation Japan Heisei The Meiji period (Japanese: Meiji Jidai 明治時代 ) (1868–1912... Wakkanai (Japanese: 稚内市; -shi, Ainu: Yam Wakka Nay) is a city located in Soya, Hokkaido. ... Categories: Cities in Hokkaido Prefecture | Japan geography stubs ... Esashi (枝幸町) is a town in Esashi District, Soya Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. ... Kitahiroshima (北広島市 Kitahiroshima-shi) is a city located in Ishikari, Hokkaido, Japan. ... Date (伊達市; -shi) is a city located in Iburi, Hokkaido, Japan. ...

During the rule of Shoguns, families of samurai often adopted place names as their surname. Examples are Ashikaga clan and Taira clan. Ashikaga clan (Japanese: 足利氏, Ashikaga-shi) was a famous Japanese clan who established the Muromachi shogunate. ... Taira (平) is a Japanese surname. ...