Sendai & Miyagi's Hard-to-Read Place Names
Can you read "愛子" as "Ayashi"? Sendai is dotted with place names that puzzle first-time visitors.
Names rooted in the terrain, in old village names, and in local faith still survive across Sendai's wards today.
Here we work through the most notable hard-to-read names, starting from their readings and origins.
Sendai Names That Look Easy but Aren't
Ayashiあやし
A locality in western Aoba Ward written 愛子 but pronounced "Ayashi." The name is said to derive from Koayashi Kannon, and it lends its name to Ayashi Station on the JR Senzan Line.
Source:仙台市 公式サイト
Nigatakeにがたけ
Read "Nigatake," this Miyagino Ward district traces its name to the former village of Nigatake. Nigatake Station serves it on the JR Senseki Line.
Source:仙台市 公式サイト
Kagitoriかぎとり
Pronounced "Kagitori," this area in southern Taihaku Ward carries an old heritage that also lives on in the names Mt. Kagitori and Kagitori-dera temple.
Source:仙台市 公式サイト
Moniwaもにわ
A mountain-valley locale read "Moniwa," set along the upper Natori River in western Taihaku Ward. The name is also tied to the Moniwa family, retainers of the Date clan.
Source:仙台市 公式サイト
Gorokuごうろく
Read "Goroku," this district hugs the Hirose River in western Aoba Ward and sits along the old highway leading toward Sakunami and Ayashi.
Source:仙台市 公式サイト
Tsubamesawaつばめさわ
A Miyagino Ward name pronounced "Tsubamesawa." Perched on the edge of a plateau, the area has developed into a residential neighborhood.
Source:仙台市 公式サイト
FAQ
Why does Sendai have so many hard-to-read place names?
Because readings rooted in old village names, local faith, and the terrain have survived even as they drifted away from the kanji spellings. This historical gap between writing and pronunciation is regarded as the main reason names became hard to read.
What's the best way to tour the hard-to-read place names?
Start with names that survive as railway stations, such as those on the JR Senzan Line (toward Ayashi) or the JR Senseki Line (toward Nigatake), which makes it easier to grasp how they relate geographically.