Kaneshiro (金城) is a Japanese surname meaning "golden castle".[1] The kanji used to write this surname may also be read Kinjō in on'yomi or Kanagusuku in the Okinawan language pronunciation. The former reading often indicates Okinawan origin, and the latter reading always does. Okinawans in mainland Japan with those two surnames sometimes change its reading to Kaneshiro without changing the characters.[2][3] The surnames Kaneshiro and Kinjo are also found in the pass names of Koreans in Japan, formed by adding a second character to the common Korean surname Kim and then pronouncing the new name using Japanese rather than Korean reading.[4]

Kaneshiro, Kinjō, Kanagusuku
Language(s)Japanese, Okinawan
Origin
MeaningGolden castle

People with the surname Kaneshiro include:

People with the surname Kinjō include:

  • Aino Kinjō (金城 愛乃, born 1974), Japanese ten-pin bowler from Okinawa
  • Tatsuhiko Kinjō (金城 龍彦, born 1976), Japanese baseball player of Korean descent
  • Yamato Kinjo (金城 大和, born 1983), Japanese theatre actor from Okinawa
  • Christopher Tatsuki Kinjo (金城 達樹, born 1993), Japanese football midfielder (J2 League) from Okinawa
  • Justin Toshiki Kinjo (金城 俊樹, born 1997), Japanese football midfielder (2. Bundesliga) from Okinawa

References

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  1. ^ Breen, Jim. "Japanese Names (ENAMDICT)". Electronic Dictionary Research and Development Group. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  2. ^ Rabson, Steve (2003). "Memories of Okinawa: Life and Times in the Greater Osaka Diaspora". In Hein, Laura Elizabeth; Selden, Mark (eds.). Islands of Discontent: Okinawan Responses to Japanese and American Power. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 118. ISBN 9780742518667.
  3. ^ 丹羽基二 (2000). 『知って楽しい「苗字」のウンチク: 一日一話でわかる面白知識』. PHP研究所 [PHP Institute]. ISBN 4569574742.
  4. ^ Johnson, Chalmers A. (1999). Okinawa: Cold War island. Japan Policy Research Institute. p. 77. ISBN 9780967364209.