Japanese ship naming conventions
Encyclopedia
Japanese ship naming conventions are different from those in the West. Japanese warships have never been named after people. Prior to World War II
, Japanese ship naming conventions underwent several changes before being settled.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
's 16th century fleet. There are several theories which purport to explain this practice:
Today commercial and private ships are still named using this convention.
was formed the Ministry of the Navy submitted potential ship names to the Emperor
for approval. During the early years ships were often donated by the Shogunate or Japanese clans
and the original clan names were kept.
In 1891 the procedure was changed due to changes in the government structure. Two ship names were submitted by the Minister of the Navy to the Lord Chamberlain who then presented the choices to the Emperor. The Emperor could either pick one of the suggested names or one of his own devising.
Ships captured during the First Sino-Japanese War
kept their original names but with Japanese pronunciation
. For example the Chinese battleship Chen Yuan became Chin'en in Japanese service.
In 1876 the Minister of the Navy was given the authority to choose the names of torpedo boat
s without imperial approval. In 1902 the authority to name destroyer
s was delegated to the Minister of the Navy as well.
In 1895 a proposal was made by the Minister of the Navy in an attempt to establish some standard. He proposed that battleships and cruisers be named for provinces or shrines dedicated to protecting Japan, that names of other warships be selected from the names for Japan or provinces.
Ships captured during the Russo-Japanese War
were renamed with Japanese names. Some of these vessels were given names related to where they were captured or some other aspect of the war, such as the month of capture. Some Russian ships were given Japanese names that were phonetically similar to their original Russian names (example: Angara became Anegawa).
In 1921 the Minister of the Navy was given authority to name all ships except battleship
s, battlecruiser
s, and cruiser
s. In any event the Navy had to report the new name to the Emperor immediately.
; after the end of the war this tradition was abandoned in favor of hiragana
to separate the perception of the Maritime Self-Defense Force
s from the old navy.
is probably perceived as "red castle" by Japanese about as often as Philadelphia
is perceived as the "city of brotherly love" by Americans.
There is a tendency for translations of Japanese names to be somewhat fanciful. For example, Shōkaku
is often translated as "crane flying in heaven", but "flying crane" or "soaring crane" is a more accurate translation. Another fanciful translation is "land of divine mulberry trees" for Fusō
— fuso was a Chinese name for a mythical tree supposed to grow to the east, hence an old poetic word for Japan.
In World War II
, the composition of the Japanese Navy was a military secret. US Naval Intelligence built up knowledge of enemy ships through photographic reconnaissance, interrogation of prisoners, and signal interception. Inevitably there were mistakes and misinterpretations; some of these have been repeated in post-war accounts that rely on US Navy documents. For example, a prisoner of war after the battle of Midway
reported the existence of an aircraft carrier named Hayataka. This was a deliberate misreading of the characters 隼鷹 in kun-yomi, while they in this case are properly read in on-yomi as Junyō
. Accordingly, many US documents refer to the carrier as Hayataka or its class as the Hayataka class.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Japanese ship naming conventions underwent several changes before being settled.
Merchant ships
The word is often attached to Japanese ship names. The first ship known to follow this convention was the Nippon Maru, flagship of daimyoDaimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
's 16th century fleet. There are several theories which purport to explain this practice:
- The most common is that ships were thought of as floating castleCastleA castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
s, and the word referred to the defensive "circles" or maru that protected the castle. - That the suffix -maru is often applied to words representing something that is beloved, and sailors applied this suffix to their ships.
- That the term maru is used in divination and represents perfection or completeness, or the ship as a small world of its own.
- A legend of Hakudo MaruHakudo MaruHakudo Maru is the name of a celestial being in Japanese mythology who is said to have come to Earth 5000 years ago and taught humans how to build ships....
, a celestial being that came to earth and taught humans how to build ships. It is said that the name maru is attached to a ship to secure celestial protection for it as it travels. - For the past few centuries, only non-warships bore the maru ending. It was intended to be used as a good hope naming convention that would allow the ship to leave port, travel the world, and return safely to home port: hence the complete circle arriving back to its origin unhurt.
Today commercial and private ships are still named using this convention.
Early conventions
When the Imperial Japanese NavyImperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
was formed the Ministry of the Navy submitted potential ship names to the Emperor
Emperor of Japan
The Emperor of Japan is, according to the 1947 Constitution of Japan, "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." He is a ceremonial figurehead under a form of constitutional monarchy and is head of the Japanese Imperial Family with functions as head of state. He is also the highest...
for approval. During the early years ships were often donated by the Shogunate or Japanese clans
Japanese clans
This is a list of Japanese clans. The ancient clans mentioned in the Nihonshoki and Kojiki lost their political power before the Heian period. Instead of gozoku, new aristocracies, Kuge families emerged in the period...
and the original clan names were kept.
In 1891 the procedure was changed due to changes in the government structure. Two ship names were submitted by the Minister of the Navy to the Lord Chamberlain who then presented the choices to the Emperor. The Emperor could either pick one of the suggested names or one of his own devising.
Ships captured during the First Sino-Japanese War
First Sino-Japanese War
The First Sino-Japanese War was fought between Qing Dynasty China and Meiji Japan, primarily over control of Korea...
kept their original names but with Japanese pronunciation
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
. For example the Chinese battleship Chen Yuan became Chin'en in Japanese service.
In 1876 the Minister of the Navy was given the authority to choose the names of torpedo boat
Torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
s without imperial approval. In 1902 the authority to name destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s was delegated to the Minister of the Navy as well.
In 1895 a proposal was made by the Minister of the Navy in an attempt to establish some standard. He proposed that battleships and cruisers be named for provinces or shrines dedicated to protecting Japan, that names of other warships be selected from the names for Japan or provinces.
Ships captured during the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
were renamed with Japanese names. Some of these vessels were given names related to where they were captured or some other aspect of the war, such as the month of capture. Some Russian ships were given Japanese names that were phonetically similar to their original Russian names (example: Angara became Anegawa).
In 1921 the Minister of the Navy was given authority to name all ships except battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
s, battlecruiser
Battlecruiser
Battlecruisers were large capital ships built in the first half of the 20th century. They were developed in the first decade of the century as the successor to the armoured cruiser, but their evolution was more closely linked to that of the dreadnought battleship...
s, and cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
s. In any event the Navy had to report the new name to the Emperor immediately.
World War II
By World War II a fairly complete system was put in place for the naming of ships. The broad categories of names are given here, with examples:- Aircraft carrierAircraft carrierAn aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
s — birds or mythical flying animals- HiryūJapanese aircraft carrier Hiryuwas a modified Sōryū-class aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. She was one of the carriers that began the Pacific War with the attack on Pearl Harbor...
(飛龍) flying dragon - Jun'yōJapanese aircraft carrier Junyowas a of the Imperial Japanese Navy. She was laid down at Nagasaki as the passenger liner Kashiwara Maru, but was purchased by the Japanese Navy in 1941 and converted to an aircraft carrier. Completed in May 1942, the ship participated in the invasion of the Aleutian Islands the following month...
(隼鷹) peregrine falcon
- Hiryū
- BattleshipBattleshipA battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
s, including those converted into aircraft carriers — provinces- NagatoJapanese battleship NagatoNagato was a battleship of the Imperial Japanese Navy; the lead ship of her class. She was the first battleship in the world to mount 16 inch guns, her armour protection and speed made her one of the most powerful capital ships at the time of her commissioning.She was the flagship of Admiral...
(長門) Nagato provinceNagato Province, often called , was a province of Japan. It was at the extreme western end of Honshū, in the area that is today Yamaguchi Prefecture. Nagato bordered on Iwami and Suō Provinces.... - YamatoJapanese battleship Yamato, named after the ancient Japanese Yamato Province, was the lead ship of the Yamato class of battleships that served with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. She and her sister ship, Musashi, were the heaviest and most powerfully armed battleships ever constructed, displacing...
(大和) Yamato ProvinceYamato Provincewas a province of Japan, located in Kinai, corresponding to present-day Nara Prefecture in Honshū. It was also called . At first, the name was written with one different character , and for about ten years after 737, this was revised to use more desirable characters . The final revision was made in... - KagaJapanese aircraft carrier KagaKaga was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy , named after the former Kaga Province in present-day Ishikawa Prefecture...
(加賀) Kaga ProvinceKaga Provincewas an old province in the area that is today the southern part of Ishikawa Prefecture. It was sometimes called .Ruled by the Maeda clan, the capital of Kaga was Kanazawa. Kaga bordered on Echizen, Etchū, Hida, and Noto Provinces...
- Nagato
- BattlecruiserBattlecruiserBattlecruisers were large capital ships built in the first half of the 20th century. They were developed in the first decade of the century as the successor to the armoured cruiser, but their evolution was more closely linked to that of the dreadnought battleship...
s and heavy cruisers, including those converted into aircraft carriers — mountains- KongōJapanese battleship KongoKongō was a warship of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War I and World War II. She was the first battlecruiser of the Kongō class, among the most heavily armed ships in any navy when built. Her designer was the British naval engineer George Thurston, and she was laid down in 1911 at...
(金剛) a mountain in Osaka prefectureOsaka Prefectureis a prefecture located in the Kansai region on Honshū, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Osaka. It is the center of Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto area.- History :... - KirishimaJapanese battleship Kirishimawas a warship of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War I and World War II. Designed by British naval engineer George Thurston, she was the third launched of the four Kongō-class battlecruisers, among the most heavily armed ships in any navy when built...
(霧島) a volcano in Kagoshima prefectureKagoshima Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. The capital is the city of Kagoshima.- Geography :Kagoshima Prefecture is located at the southwest tip of Kyushu and includes a chain of islands stretching further to the southwest for a few hundred kilometers... - AkagiJapanese aircraft carrier AkagiAkagi was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy , originally begun as an . She was converted while still under construction to an aircraft carrier under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty...
(赤城) a volcano in the Kantō regionKanto regionThe is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 40 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain....
- Kongō
- Light cruiserLight cruiserA light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
s, including those converted into heavy cruisers — river names- Tone (利根) a river in the Kantō regionKanto regionThe is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 40 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain....
- ChikumaJapanese cruiser ChikumaThe was the second and last vessel in the Tone-class of heavy cruisers in the Imperial Japanese Navy. It is named after the Chikuma River, in Nagano prefecture of Japan. The Tone class cruisers were originally envisaged as the 5th and 6th vessels in the Mogami class...
(筑摩) a river in Nagano prefectureNagano Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of the island of Honshū. The capital is the city of Nagano.- History :Nagano was formerly known as the province of Shinano... - Suzuya (鈴谷) a river in Karafuto prefectureKarafuto Prefecture, commonly called South Sakhalin, was the Japanese administrative division corresponding to Japanese territory on Sakhalin from 1905 to 1945. Through the Treaty of Portsmouth, the portion of Sakhalin south of 50°N became a colony of Japan in 1905...
(now SakhalinSakhalinSakhalin or Saghalien, is a large island in the North Pacific, lying between 45°50' and 54°24' N.It is part of Russia, and is Russia's largest island, and is administered as part of Sakhalin Oblast...
)
- Tone (利根) a river in the Kantō region
- Training cruisers (post-1940) — ShintoShintoor Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
shrines - Heavy and light destroyers — weather
- IkazuchiJapanese destroyer Ikazuchiwas the twenty-third destroyer, or the third , built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the inter-war period. When introduced into service, these ships were the most powerful destroyers in the world...
(雷) thunder - YukikazeJapanese destroyer Yukikazewas a in service with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. She was the only member of her class to survive the war. The attrition rate of Japanese destroyers was extremely high due to heavy, prolonged combat and the need to use them to transport supplies to scattered Japanese island...
(雪風) snowy wind
- Ikazuchi
- Light destroyers — plants, weather
- Torpedo boatTorpedo boatA torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
s — birds - SubmarineSubmarineA submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s — not named - Submarine tenderSubmarine tenderA submarine tender is a type of ship that supplies and supports submarines.Submarines are small compared to most oceangoing vessels, and generally do not have the ability to carry large amounts of food, fuel, torpedoes, and other supplies, nor to carry a full array of maintenance equipment and...
s — whales - Escorts (post-1940) — islands
- Destroyers Type A (post-1943) — water, plants
- MatsuJapanese destroyer MatsuThe Matsu was the lead ship of the s of the Imperial Japanese Navy. She had a very short career: less than a year from laying her keel in 1943, and just more than three months from her completion in 1944, to her sinking as she returned from her first escort mission.The Matsu-class ships were built...
(松) pine tree - TakanamiJapanese destroyer Takanamiwas a of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Her name means "Pearly Waves" .On 30 November 1942, Takanami was on a supply transport run to Guadalcanal, when her task group engaged a United States Navy task group in the Battle of Tassafaronga. Takanami torpedoed the heavy cruisers and...
(高波) high wave
- Matsu
- Destroyers Type B (post-1943) — moon, wind, clouds, seasons
- AkizukiJapanese destroyer Akizuki-External links:*...
(秋月) Autumn moon - YūgumoJapanese destroyer YugumoThe Yūgumo was the lead ship of her class of destroyer in the Imperial Japanese Navy.On the night of 6–7 October 1943, Yūgumo was on a troop evacuation run to Vella Lavella. In the Battle of Vella Lavella, she charged U.S. destroyers, irreparably damaging with a torpedo...
(夕雲) evening cloud
- Akizuki
Post–World War II
Prior to the end of World War II Japanese ship names were rendered in kanjiKanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
; after the end of the war this tradition was abandoned in favor of hiragana
Hiragana
is a Japanese syllabary, one basic component of the Japanese writing system, along with katakana, kanji, and the Latin alphabet . Hiragana and katakana are both kana systems, in which each character represents one mora...
to separate the perception of the Maritime Self-Defense Force
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
The , or JMSDF, is the naval branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. It was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy after World War II....
s from the old navy.
- Helicopter destroyers and Helicopter carrierHelicopter carrierHelicopter carrier is a term for an aircraft carrier whose primary purpose is to operate helicopters. The term is sometimes used for both ASW carriers and amphibious assault ships....
s (DDH) — traditional provinces and mountains - Guided missile destroyerGuided missile destroyerA guided missile destroyer is a destroyer designed to launch guided missiles. Many are also equipped to carry out anti-submarine, anti-air, and anti-surface operations. In the U.S...
s (DDG) — mountains and weather terms - Small destroyerDestroyerIn naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s (DD) — weather terms - FrigateFrigateA frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
s (DE) — rivers - SubmarineSubmarineA submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s (SS) — ocean currents and legendary auspicious animals - Replenishment oilerReplenishment OilerA replenishment oiler or fleet tanker is a naval auxiliary ship with fuel tanks and dry cargo holds, which can replenish other ships while underway in the high seas. Such ships are used by several countries around the world....
s (AOE) — lakes - Amphibious transport dockAmphibious transport dockAn amphibious transport dock, also called a landing platform/dock , is an amphibious warfare ship, a warship that embarks, transports, and lands elements of a landing force for expeditionary warfare missions. Several navies currently operate this kind of ship...
s and TroopshipTroopshipA troopship is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime...
s (LST) — peninsulas
Translated names
The English translations of the Japanese warships provide names; the literal translation of the characters does not necessarily represent how the name is perceived to the Japanese. For example, AkagiJapanese aircraft carrier Akagi
Akagi was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy , originally begun as an . She was converted while still under construction to an aircraft carrier under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty...
is probably perceived as "red castle" by Japanese about as often as Philadelphia
USS Philadelphia (CL-41)
USS Philadelphia , a Brooklyn class light cruiser of the United States Navy. She was the fifth ship named for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In the 1950s, she was commissioned into the Brazilian Navy as Almirante Barroso....
is perceived as the "city of brotherly love" by Americans.
There is a tendency for translations of Japanese names to be somewhat fanciful. For example, Shōkaku
Japanese aircraft carrier Shokaku
Shōkaku was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy, the lead ship of her class. Along with her sister ship , she took part in several key naval battles during the Pacific War, including the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Battle of the Coral Sea and the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands...
is often translated as "crane flying in heaven", but "flying crane" or "soaring crane" is a more accurate translation. Another fanciful translation is "land of divine mulberry trees" for Fusō
Japanese battleship Fuso
The Japanese battleship Fusō , was a part of the Imperial Japanese Navy, the lead ship of the Fusō-class. She was laid down by the Kure Kaigun Koshō on 11 March 1912, launched on 28 March 1914 and completed on 18 November 1915...
— fuso was a Chinese name for a mythical tree supposed to grow to the east, hence an old poetic word for Japan.
In World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the composition of the Japanese Navy was a military secret. US Naval Intelligence built up knowledge of enemy ships through photographic reconnaissance, interrogation of prisoners, and signal interception. Inevitably there were mistakes and misinterpretations; some of these have been repeated in post-war accounts that rely on US Navy documents. For example, a prisoner of war after the battle of Midway
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...
reported the existence of an aircraft carrier named Hayataka. This was a deliberate misreading of the characters 隼鷹 in kun-yomi, while they in this case are properly read in on-yomi as Junyō
Japanese aircraft carrier Junyo
was a of the Imperial Japanese Navy. She was laid down at Nagasaki as the passenger liner Kashiwara Maru, but was purchased by the Japanese Navy in 1941 and converted to an aircraft carrier. Completed in May 1942, the ship participated in the invasion of the Aleutian Islands the following month...
. Accordingly, many US documents refer to the carrier as Hayataka or its class as the Hayataka class.