"Yakubukuro" is a difficult-to-read surname found in the vicinity of Kofu City, Yamanashi Prefecture. There are various theories about the origin of this surname, but the most famous one is the legend about "Takeda Shingen's Yakubukuro."
The story goes that a farmer picked up a medicine bag that Shingen had dropped and returned it to him, and was rewarded with the surname.
Other theories include that the name comes from the fact that in a village where many people are long-lived and healthy, people would "not look at the medicine bag." Another theory is that the name comes from the fact that medicines in the past looked ugly, so "people would put them in bags so they wouldn't see them."
As this is also one of the surnames derived from occupations, it is possible that the family is a doctor or merchant who deals in medicine.
Medicine bag = not seen
"Yakubukuro" is a family name that is pronounced "Minaito". There are various theories about the origin of the family name, including that it was bestowed upon the family by Takeda Shingen, a warlord in Kai during the Sengoku period, after the family picked up his medicine bag and returned it to him. It is a rare family name nationwide, but is relatively common in Yamanashi Prefecture.
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.
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