Can you read it? The rare surname "Kenwatashi" is not pronounced "Kenwatashi"Can you read it? The rare surname "Kenwatashi" is not pronounced "Kenwatashi"

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2025.2.3

Can you read it? The rare surname "Kenwatashi" is not pronounced "Kenwatashi"

"Kagiwatari" is a rare name found mainly in Ebina City, Kanagawa Prefecture.



Ebina City is home to the Kagiwatari family, an old family that served as headman of the former Kamigo village during the Edo period.



According to one theory, the Kagiwatari family took on this surname because they once held the keys to the ferry dock on the Sagami River and were responsible for handing them over to boatmen when necessary.



In Kamigo village, the Kagiwatari family was a distinguished family that was allowed to use their surname and carry swords during the Edo period, probably because they always served as the headman's representative when the headman was the village headman.










Key handover

 

 

"Kagiwatari" is a surname that is pronounced as "Kagiwatari". It is rare nationwide, and most of the people with this name are in Kanagawa Prefecture, with an estimated 70 people.










What is “knowing unusual surnames”?
It is said that there are approximately 30 Japanese surnames, including different readings. We will introduce some of the most unusual surnames, their pronunciations and origins, as well as areas where they still exist in large numbers.

 

 






Reference books: Difficult to read surname dictionary by Masanori Shindo, Shonansha, 47 prefectures and surname encyclopedia, by Hiroshi Morioka, Maruzen Publishing

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