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26,551 first names, 70,620 last names, 333,585 kanji variations.
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Image by: Inuyasha comic 1 ©Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan
Contents
Inuyasha is a popular manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. Inuyasha is about a fight over the sacred jewel called the ‘four souls jewel’ (四魂の玉 read Shikon no Tama) which gives power to demons and grants any wish. A middle school girl called Kagome falls into a well and travels back in time to the Sengoku era where she meets a half-dog demon Inuyasha. Inuyasha and Kagome set off on an adventure looking for the pieces of the ‘four souls jewel’ which are scattered all over Japan.
Image by: Inuyasha Yomigaeru Monogatari official website ©Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan・Yomiuri TV・Sunrise2009 ©DAEWON MEDIA CO., LTD.
Inuyasha(犬夜叉) is the exact title of the original version. The title comes from the main character’s name and most of the focus is on him.
In Japanese culture, names have significant meanings that are supposed to represent you as a person. Names can be expressed in hiragana, katakana, and kanji. Let’s find out the meanings of some names of characters in Inuyasha.
Image by: Inuyasha Yomigaeru Monogatari official website ©Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan・Yomiuri TV・Sunrise2009 ©DAEWON MEDIA CO., LTD.
Inuyasha is half-dog and half-demon. He was trapped on a tree with a holy arrow until Kagome freed him. ‘Inu’(犬) means dog and ‘Yasha’(夜叉) means demon. With dog ears and a fluffy tail you can easily tell that he is half dog, Kagome is able to control him by saying “sit” because of the magical necklace around his neck.
Image by: Inuyasha Yomigaeru Monogatari official website ©Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan・Yomiuri TV・Sunrise2009 ©DAEWON MEDIA CO., LTD.
She is the daughter of the Higurashi shrine and lives with her grandfather, mother, and younger brother. Kagome(カゴメ) means weaved basket and it is also the name of a traditional Japanese game. She was revealed to be Kikyou’s reincarnation and brought the ‘four souls jewel’ back in the Sengoku era.
Image by: Inuyasha Yomigaeru Monogatari official website ©Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan・Yomiuri TV・Sunrise2009 ©DAEWON MEDIA CO., LTD.
Kikyou (桔梗) is a powerful priestess guarding the ‘four souls jewel’ and is the one who trapped Inuyasha on the tree. After the long battle against the demons, she succeeded in destroying the ‘four souls jewel’ but died in exchange. Kikyou (桔梗) means bellflower.
Image by: Inuyasha Yomigaeru Monogatari official website ©Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan・Yomiuri TV・Sunrise2009 ©DAEWON MEDIA CO., LTD.
Shi (七) means seven, however, if you would want to say the number seven by itself you would say Shichi or Nana. On the other hand, Pou(宝) means treasure. Shippou is a little fox demon and is a scaredy-cat (or should I say fox.) He joins Inuyasha throughout his journey.
Image by: Inuyasha Yomigaeru Monogatari official website ©Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan・Yomiuri TV・Sunrise2009 ©DAEWON MEDIA CO., LTD.
Sango(珊瑚) means coral. Sango is a demon slayer whose family was killed by Naraku. She joins Inuyasha to avenge her family.
Image by: Inuyasha anime official website ©Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan・Yomiuri TV・Sunrise
Kohaku (琥珀), Sango’s kind little brother. He was possessed by Naraku and killed his family. He died after but was saved by the power of the ‘Four soul jewel’. Kohaku (琥珀) means amber.
Image by: Inuyasha Yomigaeru Monogatari official website ©Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan・Yomiuri TV・Sunrise2009 ©DAEWON MEDIA CO., LTD.
He is Inuyasha’s older half-brother. Unlike Inuyasha he is fully demon, this is because both his parents are demons and Inuyasha’s mother is a human. Sesshou (殺生) means kill, or cruel and Maru (丸) is circle. Like his name, he doesn’t hesitate to kill anything, especially humans.
Image by: Inuyasha anime DVD 6 cover ©Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan・Yomiuri TV・Sunrise
Naraku is half-spider and half-demon. He is also after the ‘Four souls jewel’ because he desires to be the most powerful demon. Naraku (奈落) means hell.
Here are some useful phrases from Inuyasha which will help you along with your Japanese studies!
Image by: Inuyasha comic 3 Ep 21 ©Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan
‘ii’ means good and ‘tenki’ means weather.
Here are three different types of weathers in Japanese.
‘晴れ’(Hare) = sunny
‘曇り’ (Kumori) = cloudy
‘雨’ (Ame) = rainy
Image by: Inuyasha comic 1 Ep 1 ©Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan
‘Osuwari’ is a word you use when you train your dog how to sit. When Inuyasha misbehaved, Kagome took control of him with this magic word.
Sort by Most Kanji Variations
This is the order of names with many variations of kanji.
Basically, names with more variations are more common and familiar to the Japanese.
Sort by Most Viewed
The names are sorted by the number of times they have been viewed on this site. This ranking is based on the behavior of users around the world, including Japan, so it does not mean that the names are commonly viewed by Japanese people only.
Please note that just because a name has been viewed more times does not mean it is a famous name in Japan.
What is Hiragana?
Hiragana is a syllabary used in written Japanese, which originated from the cursive style of Kanji.
What is Katakana?
Katakana is also a Japanese syllabary. Basically, the characters don't have any meaning by themselves, they only represent the sounds.
Japanese try to express the words came from foreign languages with the most similar sounds in Japanese using Katakana.
What is English Transcription?
English Transcription is a term used when translating Japanese names into English. It represents a romanised version of the name with the aim of reproducing the pronunciation as accurately as possible. English Transcription can also be used for name searches.
Japanese Style Nickname
In Japan, nicknames are commonly used to express familiarity and affection. Here are key features and contexts:
Shortened Forms: Names are often shortened for ease and intimacy, such as 'Yuki' from 'Yukiko' or 'Taka' from 'Takashi'.
Suffixes: Terms like 'chan' for girls and 'kun' for boys are added to names among close friends and family. However, 'chan' can also be used for boys during childhood. Additionally, among adults who are very close, like best friends, 'chan' may still be used to convey affection and familiarity. More Details
Usage and Cultural Aspects: Nicknames are typically used in informal settings among friends, family, or close colleagues, and are not suitable for formal or professional environments. The use of a nickname suggests a degree of intimacy and should reflect the nature of the relationship. Young people often demonstrate creativity in their social interactions by crafting unique nicknames.
Note: In Japanese, the long vowel sound is indicated by a special character called a "chōonpu" (長音符), which looks like a horizontal dash (ー). This character serves to extend the duration of the vowel sound immediately preceding it. For instance, in the name "あーちゃん" (A-chan), the "あ" (A) is extended, producing a prolonged "ah" sound, similar to the "a" in "father."
Households?
The names are sorted by the number of Japanese households where the surname is used.
The more households there are, the more famous and common the surname is.
About this site's data of last names