Japanese people did not have their surnames before the Meiji Restoration except some special people such as Samurai and priests.
The new government wanted to make a family resister for all Japanese people and asked all people to have surnames.
Most farmers were embarrassed but hastened to make their own surnames connected with the most familiar scenery around them：RICE FIELD.
| a) Place of field | |
| Upper field | UEDA(上田) or TAGAMI(田上) TAKADA(高田) |
| Middle field | NAKADA, NAKATA(中田) or TANAKA(田中) |
| Lower filed | SIMODA(下田) |
| Front field | MAEDA(前田) |
| Rear field | OKUDA(奥田) |
| b) Direction of field | |
| East field | HIGASIDA(東田) |
| West field | NISIDA(西田) |
| South filed | MINAMIDA(南田) |
| North field | KITADA(北田) |
| c) With hill | |
| Hill and field | OKADA(岡田) or TAOKA(田岡) |
| d) With tree | |
| Tree and field | KIDA(木田) |
| Wood and field | HAYASIDA(林田) |
| Forest and field | MORITA(森田) |
| Pine tree | MATUDA(松田) |
| Japanese cedar | SUGITA(杉田) |
| e) With mountain | YAMADA(山田) or TAYAMA(田山) |
| f) With stone | ISIDA(石田) |
| g) With pond | IKEDA(池田) |
| h) With river | KAWADA(川田) |
| Shallow river | ASADA(浅田) |
| Deep river | FUKADA(深田) |
| With soil | TUTIDA(土田) |
You may now understand how many farmers picked up "field".
We are sure that you will find above-named friends around you.
However, the top three names in Japan are SATO(佐藤)、SUZUKI(鈴木) and TAKAHASI(高橋). Why? Because these three names came from very old nobles, Mononobe and Fujiwara, who had once ruled over old Japan and their descendants were scattered around all Japan.
(by OKUDA / Apr.27, 2013)
Photos: Various nameplates. They are usually put up on the wall or the fence near the entrance of a house.
