Japanese ship names follow different conventions from those typical in the West. Merchant ship names often contain the word maru at the end (meaning circle), while warships are never named after people, but rather after objects such as mountains, islands, weather phenomena, or animals.
Merchant ships The word is often attached to Japanese ship names. The first ship known to follow this practice was the Nippon Maru, flagship of daimyō Toyotomi Hideyoshi's 16th century fleet.
Several theories purport to explain this practice: The most common is that ships were thought of as floating castles, and the word referred to the defensive "circles" or maru that protected the castle. The suffix -maru is often applied to words representing something beloved, and sailors applied this suffix to their ships. The term maru is used in divination and represents perfection or completeness, or the ship as "a small world of its own". The myth of Hakudo Maru, a celestial being that came to earth and taught humans how to build ships. It is said that the name maru is attached to a ship to secure celestial protection for itself as it travels. For the past few centuries, only non-warships bore the -maru ending. Its use was intended as a good hope naming convention that would allow a ship to leave port, travel the world, and return safely to home port: hence the complete circle or "round trip" arriving back at its origin unhurt. "Hinomaru", or "sun-disc", is a name often applied to the national flag of Japan.
Today many commercial and private ships are still named using this convention.
Warships Early conventions When the Imperial Japanese Navy was formed, the Ministry of the Navy submitted potential ship names to the Emperor for approval. During the early years ships were often donated by the Shogunate or Japanese clans and the original clan names were kept.
In 1891 the procedure was changed due to changes in the government structure. Two ship names were submitted by the Minister of the Navy to the Lord Chamberlain who then presented the choices to the Emperor. The Emperor could either pick one of the suggested names or one of his own devising.
Ships captured during the First Sino-Japanese War kept their original names but with Japanese pronunciation. For example, the Chinese battleship Chen Yuan became Chin'en in Japanese service.
In 1876 the Minister of the Navy was given the authority to choose the names of torpedo boats without imperial approval. In 1902 the authority to name destroyers was delegated to the Minister of the Navy as well.
In 1895 a proposal was made by the Minister of the Navy in an attempt to establish some standard. He proposed that battleships and cruisers be named for provinces or shrines dedicated to protecting Japan, that names of other warships be selected from the names for Japan or provinces.
Ships captured during the Russo-Japanese War were renamed with Japanese names. Some of these vessels were given names related to where they were captured or some other aspect of the war, such as the month of capture. Some Russian ships were given Japanese names that were phonetically similar to their original Russian names (example: Angara became Anegawa).
In 1921 the Minister of the Navy was given authority to name all ships except battleships, battlecruisers, and cruisers. In any event the Navy had to report the new name to the Emperor immediately.
Establishment of ship naming conventions 1905 On 23 April 1905, Naval Minister Gonbee Yamamoto reported to the throne about a new ship naming standard. It was decided on 1 August 1905.
Battleship: provinces, or alternate names of Japan First class cruiser (and over 7,500 tons displacement): mountains Second class cruiser (and over 3,500 tons displacement—less than 7,500 tons displacement): put the initial Ni (に) Third class cruiser (less than 3,500 tons displacement): put the initial Ha (は) Other ship names: They were named voluntarily by Naval Minister. However, second class and third class cruisers ended up with river names because it became complicated.
It passed through some changes afterwards, the broad categories of names are given here, with examples, however, if the name is the succession to a ship's name, it is excluded from following contents.
Aircraft carriers—special namesJACAR, C13071953800, p. 25, Report to the throne "Nomenclature of aircraft carrier", 18 December 1933, Minister of the Navy of Japan. (Many of them are an inheritance from the warship name in the Bakumatsu and the Meiji period).Shizuo Fukui (1996), p. 45. In fact, names related to flying animals, actual or mythological, were used. Fleet aircraft carrier; put the initial Ryū (龍, dragon), Tsuru (Kaku) (鶴, crane) or Ōtori (Hō) (鳳, phoenix) before/after her name Hōshō (鳳翔) Flying phoenix Ryūjō (龍驤) Prancing dragon Hiryū (飛龍) Flying dragon Sōryū (蒼龍) Blue (or green) dragon Shōkaku (翔鶴) Flying crane Zuikaku (瑞鶴) Auspicious crane Taihō (大鳳) Great phoenix Converted warship; put the initial Ōtori (Hō) (鳳, phoenix) after her name Zuihō (瑞鳳) Fortunate phoenix Chitose (千歳) and Chiyoda (千代田) did not change their name by a vote by the crews. Converted merchant ship; put the initial Taka (Yō) (鷹, falcon/hawk) after her name (隼鷹) Peregrine falcon And after 4 June 1943—added provinces and mountains Amagi (天城) Mount Amagi Katsuragi (葛城) Mount Yamato-Katsuragi on prefectural boundary Nara prefecture—Osaka Prefecture Battleships, including those converted into aircraft carriers—provinces and alternate names for Japan. Nagato (長門) Nagato Province Yamato (大和) Yamato Province (also an alternate name for Japan and its people) Kaga (加賀) Kaga Province Fusō (扶桑) Fusang (another name of Japan) Battlecruisers and heavy cruisers, including those converted into aircraft carriers—mountains Kongō (金剛) Mount Kongō, a mountain in Osaka Prefecture Kirishima (霧島) Mount Kirishima, a volcano in Kagoshima prefecture Akagi (赤城) Mount Akagi, a volcano in the Kantō region Chōkai (鳥海) Mount Chōkai, a volcano in the Tōhoku region Light cruisers, including those converted into heavy cruisers—river names Tone (利根) Tone River, a river in the Kantō region (筑摩) Chikuma River, a river in Nagano Prefecture Suzuya (鈴谷) Suzuya River, a river in Karafuto Prefecture (now Sakhalin) Yūbari (夕張) Yūbari River, a river in Hokkaidō Training cruisers (post-1940)—Shinto shrines Katori (香取) Katori Shrine Destroyers Until 27 August 1912—weather, wind, tide, current, wave, moon, season, other natural phenomenon, plants And after 28 August 1912 First class destroyers (and over 1,000 tons displacement)—weather, wind, tide, current, wave, moon, season, other natural phenomenon (雷) Thunder Yukikaze (雪風) Snowy wind Michishio (満潮) High tide Oyashio (親潮) Oyashio Current Sazanami (漣) Ripples on the water surface (高波) High wave Mikazuki (三日月) Crescent moon (夕雲) Evening cloud (夕立) Evening squall Mutsuki (睦月) January in lunar calendar (若葉) Young leaves (夕暮) Twilight (響) Echo Second class destroyers (and over 600 tons displacement—less than 1,000 tons displacement)—plants Nara (楢) Oak Momi (樅) Abies firma Sanae (早苗) Rice sprouts Between 12 October 1921—31 July 1928 under the Eight-eight fleet programme First class destroyers (Kamikaze class, Mutsuki class and Fubuki class)—Odd numbers from 1 to 27, consecutive numbers and after 28 Destroyer No. 1 (第1駆逐艦), renamed Kamikaze on 1 August 1928 Destroyer No. 46 (第46号駆逐艦), renamed Shikinami on 6 August 1928 Second class destroyers (Wakatake class)—Even numbers from '2' to '26' Destroyer No. 18 (第18駆逐艦), renamed Karukaya on 1 August 1928 And after 4 June 1943 Type 'A' destroyers—rain, tide Akisame (秋雨) Autumn rain Takashio (高潮) High tide Type 'B' destroyers—wind, moon, cloud, season Yamazuki (山月) Moon over a mountain Yukigumo (雪雲) Snow cloud Hae (南風) South wind of dialect word in Okinawa Prefecture, standard Japanese is Minamikaze Hayaharu (早春) Early spring Type 'D' destroyers—plants Matsu (松) Pine tree (梨) Pyrus pyrifolia Wakakusa (若草) Spring grass Torpedo boats Until 15 January 1924 First class torpedo boats (and over 120 tons displacement)—birds Hayabusa (隼) Peregrine falcon Second class and third class torpedo boats (less than 120 tons displacement)—consecutive number from '1' Torpedo boat No. 21 (第21号水雷艇) And after 30 May 1931—birds Chidori (千鳥) Plover Kiji (雉) Pheasant Submarines Until 31 October 1924—consecutive number from '1' Submarine No. 1 (第1潜水艦) Submarine No. 44 (第44号潜水艦) And after 1 November 1924 First class submarines (and over 1,000 tons displacement) — 'I' (伊) and consecutive number from '1', 'I' is first letter in the Iroha I-1 (伊号第1潜水艦) I-Gō Dai-1 sensuikan I-51 (伊号第51潜水艦) I-Gō Dai-51 sensuikan Second class submarines (and over 500 tons displacement — less than 1,000 tons displacement) — 'Ro' (呂) and consecutive number from '1', 'Ro' is second letter in the Iroha Ro-1 (呂号第1潜水艦) Ro-Gō Dai-1 sensuikan Ro-51 (呂号第51潜水艦) Ro-Gō Dai-51 sensuikan Third class submarines (less than 500 tons displacement)—'Ha' (波) and consecutive number from '1', 'Ha' is third letter in the Iroha, third class submarines were unified to second class submarines on 30 May 1931 Ha-1 (波号第1潜水艦) Ha-Gō Dai-1 sensuikan Ha-9 (波号第9潜水艦) Ha-Gō Dai-9 sensuikan Gunboats—places of scenic beauty and historic interest Ataka (安宅) Ataka-no-Seki is a barrier station in Kamakura period Suma (須磨) Suma-no-Ura is beauty spot in Hyōgo Prefecture Coast defence ship/Escort ships Until 30 June 1942—Island Shimushu (占守) Shumshu is one of the Kuril Islands And after 1 July 1942 Type 'A' and Type 'B' Escort ships—Island Etorofu (択捉) Iturup Okinawa (沖縄) Okinawa Island Type 'C' escort ships—Odd numbers from '1' Type 'D' escort ships—Even numbers from '2' Submarine tenders—whales Jingei (迅鯨) Swift whale Seaplane tenders—abstract noun, idiomatic word, notable achievement vessels in past war Chitose (千歳) Long life Mizuho (瑞穂) another name of Japan, The Land of Vigorous Rice Plants by literal translation Nisshin (日進) succession to ship name Nisshin Akitsushima (秋津州) succession to ship name Akitsushima Minelayers as warship (fitted imperial seal on bow)—Island, islands, ancient battlefield Itsukushima (厳島) ancient battlefield of the Battle of Miyajima (Itsukushima Kassen) Okinoshima (沖島) Okinoshima, and battlefield of the Battle of Tsushima Yaeyama (八重山) Yaeyama Islands as mine boat and cable layer—cape, point, island, islet Sokuten (測天) Sokuten Island is one of the island of the Penghu Shirakami (白神) Cape Shirakami as auxiliary minelayer—numbered name Auxiliary minelayer No. 1 (第1号敷設特務艇) Netlayers as warship (fitted imperial seal on bow) Until 3 June 1943—put the initial Taka (鷹, hawk) after her name Shirataka (白鷹) White hawk And after 4 June 1943—birds Asadori (朝鳥) Birds in morning as net laying boat—birds Tsubame (燕) Barn swallow Auxiliary ships Collier, oiler, icebreaker, freighter, repair ship, self-propelled target ship, munition ship—cape, point, strait, channel, bay, port Wakamiya (若宮) Cape Wakamiya; her first classification was transport ship. Cape Wakamiya (Wakamiya-zaki) is in Wakamiya Island, Oki Islands Akashi (明石) Akashi Strait is water between the Akashi and Awaji Island Nojima (野島) Cape Nojima in Bōsō Peninsula Hayasui (速吸) Hayasui-no-Seto is former name of the Hōyo Strait Ōtomari (大泊) Port of Ōtomari in southern Sakhalin Island Minesweeper, landing ship, patrol boat, motor torpedo boat, submarine chaser — numbered name Minesweeper No. 1 (第1号掃海艇) Landing ship No. 1 (第1号輸送艦) Patrol boat No. 1 (第1号哨戒艇) Motor torpedo boat No. 1 (第1号魚雷艇) Submarine chaser No. 1 (第1号駆潜艇) Miscellaneous ships Cargo ship, salvage ship—bridge or station on the arterial road Komahashi (駒橋) Komahashi-shuku is station on Kōshū Kaidō Yodohashi (淀橋) Yodohashi bridge on Ōme Kaidō Repair ship—strait, isthmus Hayase (早瀬) Hayase-no-Seto is water between the Kurahashi Island and Higashi-Nōmi Island Hitonose (飛渡瀬) Hitonose is isthmus between the Etajima and Nōmi Island