CULTURE

How an 1875 Order Led to Japan’s Extraordinary Number of Surnames

Japan’s unusually large number of surnames is linked less to ancient tradition than to an 1875 government order requiring people to register family names. The article also examines how surname systems developed differently in Korea and China.

Read at Unseen Japan

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ICYMI: Japan has an extraordinary number of surnames. It ain't thanks to ancient tradition, though. Learn how an 1875 order led to an explosion of surnames in Japan, and how Korea and China ended up somewhere very different.
Unseen Japan2d

How an 1875 Order Led to Japan’s Extraordinary Number of Surnames

Sources (1)

EN-ORIGINAL (1)

ICYMI: Japan has an extraordinary number of surnames. It ain't thanks to ancient tradition, though. Learn how an 1875 order led to an explosion of surnames in Japan, and how Korea and China ended up somewhere very different.