Chugoku Prefectures
5 entries — explore the kanji meanings and true etymologies.
鳥取
Prefecture
Chugoku
Tottori
鳥取 (とっとり)
Literal: "Bird Catching"
The name means 'to catch birds' (鳥 = bird, 取 = to take/catch). An ancient imperial bird-catching guild (鳥取部, Totoribe) w…
島根
Prefecture
Chugoku
Shimane
島根 (しまね)
Literal: "Island Roots"
The name combines 'shima' (島, island) and 'ne' (根, root/base). The Shimane Peninsula, a long narrow landmass extending i…
岡山
Prefecture
Chugoku
Okayama
岡山 (おかやま)
Literal: "Hill Mountain"
The name literally combines 'oka' (岡, hill or low elevation) and 'yama' (山, mountain). It describes the gentle hills and…
広島
Prefecture
Chugoku
Hiroshima
広島 (ひろしま)
Literal: "Wide Island"
The name means 'wide' or 'broad' (広) island (島). The city was founded in 1589 by Mōri Terumoto on a delta of the Ōta Riv…
山口
Prefecture
Chugoku
Yamaguchi
山口 (やまぐち)
Literal: "Mountain Entrance"
The name literally means 'mountain mouth/entrance' (山口). The city sits at a natural gateway through the mountains of wes…