和歌山
Wakayama
和歌山 · わかやま
Prefecture
Kinki
Kanji Literal Meaning
"Harmonious Song Mountain"
True Etymology
The name combines 'waka' (和歌, Japanese poetry/song), 'yama' (山, mountain). The mountain (Wakayama Castle hill) was named after a beloved cultural tradition of Japanese poetry. When Tokugawa Yorinobu established the Kishū Domain here in 1619, he renamed the castle town 'Wakayama,' embracing the poetic name.
Alternative Theory
An older name for the castle hill was 'Ōkazan' (岡山, hill mountain). The rename to 'Wakayama' under the Tokugawa may have been chosen to distinguish it from Okayama in western Japan and to imbue the domain capital with cultural prestige.
Key Facts
| Capital | Wakayama City |
|---|---|
| Region | Kinki |
| Reading | わかやま |
| Pre-Meiji Domains | Kishū Domain (紀州藩) |
| Domain Lords | Kishū Tokugawa clan (紀州徳川家) |
| Established | 1871-present |