[Difficult to read place names] How do you read them? Oshika Peninsula is not read as "Osujikahanto"[Difficult to read place names] How do you read them? Oshika Peninsula is not read as "Osujikahanto"

Experiences

Premium Calendar

Learn difficult-to-read place names

2026.2.13

[Difficult to read place names] How do you read them? Oshika Peninsula is not read as "Osujikahanto"

Supervised by Premium Japan Editorial Department

The kanji used to name this peninsula are similar to those used to name "Oga" in Akita Prefecture, making it easy to confuse the two. The name "Oshika" first appears in historical documents in 737 (Tenpyo 9). Records from that year mention the existence of "Oshika no Saku," one of the defensive bases built by the Imperial Court in its defenses against the Emishi.





The exact location of the fence remains unclear, but it is certain that this area was called "Oshika" at least 1300 years ago. At the time, the area was called "Oshika County," and included the area around present-day Ishinomaki.






This place name is associated with a tragic legend involving deer. There once stood a pine tree in Negishi Village, Oshika County. It is said that a male deer, who always accompanied a female deer, lost his mate one day and cried out of grief until he eventually died. The villagers planted a pine tree in the same place and called the stone beneath the pine "Deer Stone," from which the name of the county is said to have been taken as "Oshika." Stories like this also show that the Oshika Peninsula is a land with a deep connection to deer.








Ojika Peninsula

 

 

Oshika Peninsula is called "Ojikahanto"I read.

The road from Sendai, passing through Ishinomaki and heading south along the west coast of the Oshika Peninsula to Mount Kinka is called the "Kinkasan Road," and has long been bustling with worshippers. Even today, many deer live on Mount Kinka, quietly welcoming visitors. Furthermore, in 1613, the Keicho European Embassy, ​​dispatched by Date Masamune, set out from the Oshika Peninsula for the Pacific Ocean, leaving their mark on world history. Oshika is a place where deer lore and memories of the sea overlap.












Learn about difficult-to-read place names in Japan
Difficult to read place names are engraved with the local language, culture, and history of coexistence with nature. Knowing the origin of the name can make the scenery of your travel destination look a little different. That is the mysterious charm of difficult to read place names. Unraveling place names is like tracing the memories of the place. Learning the hidden meaning behind the characters leads to learning the depth of the story the place name tells.

 

 






Experiences

Premium Calendar

Learn difficult-to-read place names

Premium Calendar

not_post_content_not_jascroll top