favourite Japanese place names (Greater Tokyo edition)
Some of my favourite Japanese place names, mostly from the greater Tokyo area.
001 - Maihama (舞浜)
Maihama station is best known as the main access point for Tokyo Disney Land. I've only been to Disney Land once (and don't intend to go again), but I really like the name of the station. Its comprised of the kanji for "dance" (舞う mau) and "beach" (浜 hama), so "beach of dance." When I hear it, I imagine a windy beach where mysterious spirit dancers float through the air (although that couldn't be farther from reality).
002 - Tsudanuma (津田沼)
Another location in Chiba. I've never been there, but Tsudanuma is one of the terminals for the Sobu line, so I sometimes encounter the name on the train. The name is a combination of kanji from three former villages in the area, one from each village: "Harbour" (津 tsu), "rice field" (田 ta) and "swamp" (沼 numa). The "swamp" part makes the name sound like a place far away in the boonies. When I see this name, I always have to think of "Swamp Bottom", where Chihiro and No Face go to visit Zeniba in Spirited Away.
003 - Kachidoki (勝どき)
This one sounds really cute, but means "victory scream" (like the howl of celebration after winning a battle) and is related to Japan's victory in the Russo-Japanese war 1904-05. This place is located on one of the landfills in Tokyo Bay and doesn't have a lot of history to it.
004 - Takadanobaba (高田馬場)
It's just funny to say.1
005 - Hibarigaoka (ひばりが丘)
This one follows a common naming scheme. The "gaoka" part means "hills of ..." and there's a wide variety of them. Umegaoka (梅ヶ丘, "Plum Hills"), Shin-Yurigaoka (新百合ヶ丘, "New Lily Hills"), Jiyugaoka (自由が丘, "Hills of Freedom"), Hikarigaoka (光が丘, "Hills of Light"), ... they all sound generally nice, and apparently, that's the intended effect. They're mostly used for relatively new developments (20th century or newer) and are chosen by real estate companies to make a place seem more appealing, even if it's in the middle of suburbia. Hibarigaoka means "Skylark Hills", and while it does sound a bit generic, it conjures a very peaceful image.2
006 - Chidorigafuchi (千鳥ヶ淵)
Another "X of Y" type of construction. Fuchi refers to a pool of deep water, an abyss. Chidori is a type of bird, a plover. "Plover Depths" doesn't sound quite right, but I like the image and its sound in Japanese. In general, I like it when "nature-y" place names contrast with the modern city. It makes it feel like another (imaginary) layer is floating on top of the built environment. This area actually has a decent bit of green though; it's famous for its cherry blossoms. The "depths" are part of the moat for former Edo castle.
007 - Ochanomizu (御茶ノ水)
The literal translation is "tea water." The name comes from a former fountain in the area, where the shogun Tokugawa Hidetada is said to have sourced the water for his tea ceremonies from. The current ravine-like shape of the area (with the Kanda river at the bottom) is also connected to Hidetada's time; a result of a civil engineering project related to the fortification of Edo castle. The train bridge where the Marunouchi subway line crosses the river is a very photogenic spot that you've probably seen before if you've looked at pictures of Tokyo.
008 - Tokyo Teleport (東京テレポート)
A location on one of the artificial islands in Tokyo Bay. The name has nothing to do with teleportation; it's a combination of tele- (Greek for "far away", like in telephone or television) and the English word "port." Nowadays the Odaiba area is mostly focused around entertainment and leisure, but back in the 80s, it was concepted as a "harbour of information" in anticipation of the rise of technologies like the internet. Nowadays this kind of naming feels very retro, but that's part of its charm.
009 - Hōya (保谷)
I think it just sounds nice, I can't pinpoint the reason. It's like when Japanese people tell you that the German word for "ballpoint pen" (Kugelschreiber) sounds like the coolest thing ever, but you can't quite relate. This one is another unremarkable residential neighbourhood.
010 - Kasumigaseki (霞ヶ関)
Translates to "haze barrier" or "gate of mist." Very poetic. This is an old name that goes back to ancient times and the mythical prince Yamato Takeru. On his military campaign against the Emishi (inhabitants of northern Honshu at the time), he's said to have built a checkpoint here (the "barrier"), which got its name from the fact that he could see far into the land, with no mist or haze clouding the view. Nowadays, the area is known as the main government district where a lot of ministry buildings and associated offices are located.
[might add more in the future]