Each name usually ends with a suffix specific to a kind of place, as follows.
- ''-fu'' (府) for an "urban prefecture." There are two: Ōsaka-fu and Kyōto-fu ( Ōsaka Prefecture , Kyōto Prefecture , respectively)
- ''-gun'' (郡) for a District (usually rural - though the Japanese postal service and many other sources translate this as County )
- ''-shi'' (市) for a City
- ''-machi'' or ''-chō'' (町) for a Town - this can be a local government or a non-governmental division of a larger city
- ''-mura'' or ''-son'' (村) for a Village ; e.g., Kamikuishiki-mura ( Kamikuishiki ) - this can also be a local government or a nongovernmental division of a larger city or town
- ''-ken'' (県) for a Prefecture ; e.g., Yamanashi-ken ( Yamanashi Prefecture )
- ''-to'' (都) for Tōkyō-to ( Tōkyō )
- ''-ku'' (区) 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:
- ''chūō'' (中央) or ''naka-'' (中) - central; e.g., Yokosuka Chūō; Naka-Okachimachi
- ''higashi'' (東) - east
- ''kita'' (北) - north; e.g., Kita-ku, literally meaning North Ward
- ''minami'' (南) - south
- ''nishi'' (西) - west
- ''u'' (右) ("right") and ''sa'' (左) ("left"), directions relative to the , Ukyō-ku
Other names contain a word indicating the relationship of a settlement to another of the same or a similar name:
- ''hon'' or ''moto'' (本) - the original; e.g., Fuchu Honmachi; Moto Hachioji
- ''shin'' (新) - new
Geographic features figure prominently in Japanese place names. Some examples are
- ''hantō'' (半島) for a Peninsula ; e.g., Izu Hanto
- ''ishi'' (石) or ''iwa'' (岩) for a rock; e.g., Ishikawa Prefecture ; Iwate Prefecture
- ''izumi'' (泉) for a Spring ; e.g., Hiraizumi, Iwate
- ''kaikyō'' (海峡) for a Strait ; e.g., Bungo kaikyō
- ''kawa'' or ''-gawa'' (川) for a River ; e.g., Asakawa
- ''ko'' (湖) for a Lake ; e.g., Biwa-ko
- ''nada'' (灘) for a Sea
- ''oka'' (岡) for a Hill ; e.g., Fukuoka
- ''saki'' (崎) or ''misaki'' (岬) for a Promontory
- ''san'' or ''-zan'' (山) for a Mountain ; e.g., Aso-san
- ''sawa'' or ''-zawa'' (沢) for a Stream ; e.g., Mizusawa, Iwate
- ''shima'' or ''-jima'' (島) or ''tō'' for an Island ; e.g., Ie-shima , Iwo Jima , Okinawa Honto
- ''tani'' or ''-dani'' (谷) for a Valley
- ''wan'' (湾) for a Headland Or Bay ; e.g., Sagami-wan
- ''yama'' (山) for a Mountain ; e.g., Yamanashi Prefecture
Other words that express the natural world or agriculture often appear in place names:
Names and parts of names of former Provinces appear in many modern place names:
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:
- ''ichi'' (市), a market; e.g., Yokkaichi : "fourth-day market"
- ''-jō'' (城), a castle. Place names giving directions relative to a castle, such as Jōhoku (North of the Castle), Jōsai (West of the Castle) or Jōnan (South of the Castle), are common throughout Japan.
- ''minato'' (港) for a Harbor ; e.g., Minato, Tokyo
- ''shuku'' or ''-juku'' (宿), a post or station town on a traditional highway; e.g., Shinjuku
Many names in Hokkaido originated from words in the Ainu Language , as people from Mainland Japan conquered and colonized Hokkaido in the Edo Period and the 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 migrated as a group to Hokkaido, and they give the new settlement a name reminiscent of their old home. Examples include Hiroshima and Date, Hokkaido .
During the rule of the Shoguns (1185-1867), families of samurai often adopted place names as their surnames. Examples are the Ashikaga Clan and the Taira Clan .
Researching Japanese Place Names
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