What does Hiroshima mean?
What’s in a name?
As in many places around the world, the origins of many Japanese place names are often connected to geography or history. Here, we examine the origin and meaning of Hiroshima in English.
Some basic Japanese Kanji to start
The name Hiroshima is made up of two kanji: HIRO [広], meaning wide, and SHIMA [島], meaning island.
This is clear, but what is the story behind Hiroshima’s name?
The samurai who named Hiroshima
We are talking about something that was decided over 400 years ago, so you won’t be surprised that there are rival theories about Hiroshima’s meaning and origin. The true answer may have been lost in time, but one undisputed thing is that it was this guy who chose the name.
Mori Terumoto, the grandson and successor of the great warlord Mori Motonari (of Three Arrows fame), inherited his vast fief at a time when castles were becoming less critical as defensive strongholds and more symbols of power at the center of areas of economic importance. It was as a result of his search for a suitable and strategic location for a new modern flatland castle that Hiroshima was born.
Theory 1: The topological argument
A popular theory is that the name Hiroshima literally means “Wide Island”—a simple, evocative explanation that also happens to be our favorite at GetHiroshima. Not only is it easy to remember, but it also fits well with the area’s natural topography during medieval times.
The name Hiroshima only came into use after Mori Terumoto chose the site for his new castle in 1589. Before that, the landscape looked very different—even compared to the 17th century. Much of the area south of present-day Hiroshima Station was underwater, dotted with small islands and deep inlets. The poet and military commander Imagawa Sadayo described passing through the region in 1371, writing about vast tidal flats stretching before him.
Terumoto built his castle on the largest—and therefore “widest” —of these islands, which he had surveyed from the surrounding mountains during his 1589 expedition.
Theory 2: What’s in a name, or two?
There is, however, another theory about the origin of the name. A temple document written about a century later offers a more down-to-earth explanation: that HIRO comes from the name of one of Terumoto’s ancestors, Ōe Hiromoto, and SHIMA from Fukushima Motonaga, a key retainer who helped choose the castle’s location.
So there you have it. Two possible meanings of Hiroshima. We’ve which we prefer version. How about you? Which story do you like best?
