Nov 29, 20232 min read

Hatagaya | Japanese Place Name Etymology

Place names generally carry meaning significant to people long ago, whether it be geological, spiritual, or historical in nature, and Hatagaya in Shibuya City is no exception.

How It's Written

The name "Hatagaya" is made up of three kanji characters.

infographic on the name and Japanese reading and pronunciation of Hatagaya

Now, a couple of caveats about these particular kanji.

First, for any Japanese learners out there, this middle kanji ga is an outdated possessive modifier which, like the contemporary modifier no (の), works in the opposite direction of the English possessive. Whereas in English, this may look like "flag of the valley," this name roughly translates to "valley of the flag." If you're just starting out learning Japanese, remembering this grammatical difference is key.

Secondly, the character and word hata refers to banners and national flags, but the kanji most used today (旗) differs from the one used in Hatagaya. Hatagaya's hata (幡) refers specifically to the tall, stylized flags used in various Buddhist ceremonies, such as dedications, processions, and funerals. It is one of these hata that is responsible for the name of this town on the west side of Shibuya.

Legendary Beginnings

Artwork of the Gosannen War in the 11th century — An artwork of the Later Three Years' War in the 11th century | Tokyo National Museum | Wikimedia Commons

Hatagaya's name originates from a story of the legendary Heian period samurai Minamoto no Yoshiie, who lived from 1039 to 1106. He took part in two key clan wars from this period, the Former Nine Year’s War and the Later Three Years’ War. While returning to Kyoto from the Later Three Year’s War, Minamoto stopped at a pond to wash his ceremonial white flag, no doubt exhausted and soiled from the long trek back from the Tohoku region. By washing his flag and hanging it on a cypress tree nearby to dry while he and his men held a ceremonial enkai banquet, Minamoto cemented this area’s name for a millenia: Hatagaya. The Valley of the Flag.

The Hero

As for Minamoto no Yoshiie, his valor in battle earned him a legendary reputation, and he was elevated to Kami status with the name “Hachimantaro,” a name alluding to the Shinto god of archery and war.

The Pond

This legend was also responsible for the new name of the pond, Hataaraike. Though the pond slowly dried up and disappeared around 1964, there is still a monument to this important historical landmark in Honmachi 1-Chome, though it lists the name of the pond as Arahataike.