– www.goihata.com
In Japanese, the same as in Basque the family name (surname) often has its origin in a geographical location. The Japanese or Basque surname often comes from the location of the house or farm.
Observe here some examples
Arrieta –> Ishida 石田 –> Stone field
Mendieta –> Yamada 山田 –> Terrain or rice field in the mountains
Mendibarren –> Yamamoto 山本 –> Base of the mountain
Elizondo –> Teramoto 寺元 –> At the base of the temple (church)
Zubiondo –> Hashimoto 橋本 –> At the base or beside a bridge
Ortuondo –> Yokohata 横畑 –> Next to the vegetable garden
Ortuzar –> Furuhata 古畑 –> Old vegetable garden
Goikoetxea –> Kazuie 上家 –> The house located above
Barrenetxea –> Oroshiya 下家 –> The house located below
Garaialde –> Ueno 上野 –> Zone or area located above
Ugarte –> Shimada 島田 –> Fields (of rice) on the island
Garaikoetxea –> Kamiya 上家 –> House (farm) located in a high location
Etxeberria –> Shinya 新屋 –> New house (farm)
Ibaiondo –> Yokokawa 横川 –> Next to the bridge
Iturriaga –> Izumi 泉 –> From the water spring, fountain.
Uralde –> Mizutani 水谷 –> Water valley
Landaluze –> Nagata 長田 –> Long, elongated field (rice field)
Zabaleta –> Hirota 広田 –> Wide place, wide rice field
Zubizarreta –> Furubashi 古橋 –> Old bridge
Jauregizabal –> Ooshiro 大城 –> Big and wide castle
In Japanese culture, traditionally the oldest son was the legitimate
heir and the one to inherit the house or farm of the family (yago).
It was the responsability of the oldest son (choonan 長男 in Japanese) to preserve the family name (surname), the house and property.
The house at the same time always belongs to a village or hamlet. All the houses used to send a representative to help in communal work (auzolan), to open a new road, build a bridge, put off a fire, etc. and in doing so a strong sentiment of belonging to that village or community would arise among the community members.
Towards the beginning of the middle ages in Japan, each house or farm had a surname. The house name and the surname of all the people living under that roof was the same. Therefore when a brother or sister went to live to a different house, that person use to take a different surname.
At the beginning of the Meiji period, the Japanese Government established that every person should have a surname, and when the citizens were forced to add this family name to their name, many people chose to have the house name or a geographical location as the surname. That is exactly the same with Basque surnames.
That is why there are many cases where it is possible to translate a Basque surname into Japanese or viceversa. As the examples above show, it is possible to literally translate those Japanese and Basque surnames to the other language.
Sure there are differences in between Japan and the Basque Country, but there are also many similarities when we analyze both cultures.
It would be worth to investigate the similarities in between Japan and the Basque Country. We have a lot to learn from each other and benefit from it.