Japanese exonyms are the names of places in the Japanese language that differ from the name given in the place's dominant language.

This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2018)

While Japanese names of places that are not derived from the Chinese language generally tend to represent the endonym or the English exonym as phonetically accurately as possible, the Japanese terms for some place names are obscured, either because the name was borrowed from another language or because of some other obscure etymology, such as referring to England (more specifically the United Kingdom) as イギリス (Igirisu), which is based on the Portuguese term for "English", Inglês.^[1] Exonyms for cities outside of the East Asian cultural sphere tend to be more phonetically accurate to their endonyms than the English exonyms if the endonym is significantly different from the English exonym.

The names for nations and cities that existed before major Japanese orthographic reforms in the Meiji era usually have ateji, or kanji characters used solely to represent pronunciation. However, the use of ateji today has become far less common, as katakana has largely taken over the role of phonetically representing words of non-Sino-Japanese origin. As significant differences exist between the ax tree pronunciations of the Chinese and Japanese languages, many of the ateji terms for the exonyms of foreign, non-Sinitic terms are unrecognizable in Chinese, and likewise, since some of the ateji terms derived from Chinese, the aforementioned terms do not match the Japanese on or kun readings for the pronunciation of the given kanji.

Legend

†	Archaic, obsolete
‡	Rare
–	Does not exist
(N)	Does not exist, but kept on list for linguistic interest, or to prevent common errors.

More information China (Chūgoku (中国)), English name ...

China (Chūgoku (中国))
English name	Japanese name(s)		Endonym		Notes
	Not On'yomi	On'yomi	Name	Language
Beijing	Pekin (北京)[2][3] Hokkin[4]†[5]	(NHokkyō)[3]	pinyin: Běijīng	Mandarin	Pekin same as Japanese pronunciation of historical English exonym[2]
Chengdu	Chendu (成都)	Seito	Chéngdū	Mandarin	Transcription based on Mandarin pronunciation
Changchun	Chanchun (長春)	Chōshun	Chángchūn (长春)	Mandarin
Chongqing	Chonchin (重慶)	Jūkei	Chóngqìng (重庆)	Mandarin
Mount Everest	Eberesuto (エベレスト) Everesuto (エヴェレスト)		Everest	English	Transcriptions based on English
	Chomoranma (チョモランマ)		Zhūmùlǎngmǎ Fēng (珠穆朗瑪峰)	Chinese	Transcriptions based on Tibetan
			Chomolungma (ཇོ་མོ་གླང་མ)	Tibetan
	Sagarumāta (サガルマータ)		Sagaramāthā (सगरमाथा)	Nepali	Transcriptions based on Nepali
Dalian	Dāryen (大連)	Dairen	Dàlián (大连)	Mandarin
Guangdong	Kanton (広東)	(NKōtō)	Guǎngdōng (广东)	Mandarin	Transcription based on historical English exonym
			Gwong2dung1	Cantonese
Guangzhou	Kowanchou (広州)	Kōshū	Guǎngzhōu (广州)	Mandarin
			Gwong2zau1	Cantonese
Guilin	Guirin (桂林)	Keirin	Guìlín	Mandarin
			Gveilinz	Zhuang
Han River (Hubei)		Kankō (漢江)	Hàn Jiāng (汉江)	Mandarin
		Kansui (漢水)	Hàn Shǔi (汉水)	Mandarin
Harbin	Harubin (ハルビン)[6] Harupin (ハルピン)[6] (哈爾浜,[6] 哈爾賓[6]}		Hā'ěrbīn (哈尔滨)	Mandarin
			Kharbin (Харбин)[6]	Russian
			Halbin (ᡥᠠᠯᠪᡳᠨ)	Manchu
Hohhot	Fufuhoto (フフホト)		Hūhéhàotè (呼和浩特)	Mandarin
			Kökekhota (ᠬᠥᠬᠡᠬᠣᠲᠠ)	Mongolian
Hong Kong	Honkon (香港)[7]	(NKōkō)[8][9]	Hoeng1gong2	Cantonese	Honkon based on English exonym
Macau	Makao (マカオ)	Ōmon (澳門)	Ou3mun2	Cantonese	Makao based on Portuguese exonym
Nanjing	Nankin (南京)[2]	(NNankyō)	Nánjīng	Mandarin	Nankin same as Japanese pronunciation of historical English exonym[2]
Ningxia	Ninshā (寧夏)	Neika	Níngxià (宁夏)	Mandarin
Qingdao	Chintao (青島)	(NSeitō)	Qīngdǎo (青岛)	Mandarin	Not to be confused with Aoshima, two different islands in Japan spelled with the same kanji
Shaanxi	(NShānshī)	Sensei (陝西)	Shǎnxī (陕西)	Mandarin	As the transcriptions for Shanxi and Shaanxi are indistinguishable in Japanese (since the only way to distinguish the two in Mandarin is the tone of the first syllable), it is more common to use the on-yomi as they are distinguishable from each other
Shanghai	Shanhai (上海)[3]	Jōkai[2]†[5][3]	Shànghǎi	Mandarin
			Zaan22 he44	Wu
Shanxi	(NShanshī)	Sansei (山西)	Shānxī	Mandarin	As the transcriptions for Shanxi and Shaanxi are indistinguishable in Japanese (since the only way to distinguish the two in Mandarin is the tone of the first syllable), it is more common to use the on-yomi as they are distinguishable from each other
Shenzhen	Shenchen (シェンチェン)‡	Shinsen (深圳, 深セン)	Shēnzhèn	Mandarin
Tai Po District (Hong Kong)	Taipō (大埔)	Taiho	Daai6bou3	Cantonese	Based on Cantonese pronunciation
Tianjin	Tenchin (天津)	Tenshin	Tiānjīn	Mandarin	Not to be confused with native Japanese word amatsu, written using the same kanji.[10]
Tap Mun (Hong Kong)	Tapumunchau (塔門洲)	Tōmonshū	Taap mùhn Jāu	Cantonese	Transcription based on Cantonese pronunciation
Tibet	Chibetto (チベット)	Seizō (西蔵)	Xīzàng (西藏)	Mandarin	Transcription based on English exonym Tibet
			Bod (བོད)	Tibetan
Ürümqi	Urumuchi (烏魯木斉)	(N)	Wūlǔmùqí (乌鲁木齐)	Mandarin	Transcription based on Mandarin or Uyghur pronunciation
			Ürümçi (ئۈرۈمچى)	Uyghur
Xiamen	Amoi (アモイ, 厦門, 廈門)		Ē-mûi	Hokkien	Based on historical English exonym Amoy
	Shāmen		Xiàmén (厦门)	Mandarin	Based on Mandarin pronunciation
Xi'an	Shīan (西安)	Seian	Xī'ān	Mandarin
Xinjiang	Shinchan (新疆)	Shinkyō	Xīnjiāng	Mandarin
Yangtze	Chan-gawa (チャン川)‡	Chōkō (長江)[11]	Cháng Jiāng (长江)	Mandarin
	Yōsukō (揚子江)[12]	(NYōshikō)	Yángzǐ Jiāng (扬子江)	Mandarin

Close

For place names derived from the Chinese language, Japanese typically uses the kanji equivalents of the Chinese characters that make up their respective endonyms, albeit with a Sino-Japanese pronunciation called on readings. Some place names, however, also have an approximate pronunciation (or transcription) of a historical English exonym if the area is internationally well-known, such as Beijing and Hong Kong, and such transcriptions tend to be more common than the on-yomi or the Mandarin transcriptions. Most place names derived from Mandarin also have a Japanese transcription of the Mandarin pronunciation.

One detail to be noted, however, is that for the names of certain districts or areas in Hong Kong and Macau, the pronunciations of the Japanese transcriptions typically try to imitate the Cantonese pronunciation instead of the Mandarin pronunciation.

The Chinese characters for the endonyms above are simplified Chinese characters and will only appear in the table above if they differ from the kanji shinjitai (the current set of Japanese kanji). Most transcriptions above can be written either in kanji or katakana.

More information India (Indo (インド, 印度)), English name ...

India (Indo (インド, 印度))
English name	Japanese name	Endonym		Notes
		Name	Language
Bangalore	Bangarōru (バンガロール)	Baṅgalūru (ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು)	Kannada
Chennai	Chennai (チェンナイ)	Ceṉṉai (சென்னை)	Tamil
Ganges	Ganjisu (ガンジス)	Gaṅgā (गंगा)	Hindi	Based on English exonym
Hyderabad	Haiderabādo (ハイデラバード)	Haidarābādu (హైదరాబాదు)	Telugu
Kolkata	Korukata (コルカタ)	Kôlkata (কলকাতা)	Bengali
Mumbai	Munbai (ムンバイ)	Mumbaī (मुंबई)	Marathi
New Delhi	Nyūderī (ニューデリー)	Naī Dillī (नई दिल्ली)	Hindi	Based on English exonym

Close

Since India is home to many different languages and English is an official language in the country, Japanese exonyms are largely based on the English exonyms. The English exonyms are also familiar to many Indians.

More information Italy (Itaria (イタリア, 伊太利亜, 伊太利)), English name ...

Italy (Itaria (イタリア, 伊太利亜, 伊太利))
English name	Japanese name	Endonym		Notes
		Name	Language
Florence	Firentse (フィレンツェ) Furōrensu (フローレンス)	Firenze	Italian	Furōrensu based on English exonym
Venice	Venetsia (ヴェネツィア) Benetsia (ベネツィア) Benechia (ベネチア) Benisu (ベニス) Venisu (ヴェニス)	Venezia	Italian	Benisu/Venisu from English work of Shakespeare

Close

Japanese exonyms for Italian place names are generally based on the Italian pronunciation rather than English exonyms.

More information South Korea (Kankoku (韓国)), English name ...

South Korea (Kankoku (韓国))
English name	Japanese name		Endonym	Notes
	Not on-yomi	On-yomi
Busan	Pusan (釜山)	Fuzan	Busan (부산)
Gangnam	Kan'namu (江南)	Kōnan	Gangnam (강남)
Han River (Korea)	Hangan (漢江)	Kankō	Hangang (한강)
Incheon	Inchon (仁川)	Jinsen	Incheon (인천)
Itaewon	Itewon (梨泰院)	Ritai'in	Itaewon (이태원)
Jeju	Cheju (済州)	Saishū	Jeju (제주)
Pyeongchang	Pyonchan (平昌)	Heishō	Pyeongchang (평창)
Seoul	Souru (ソウル)	Keijō (京城)	Seoul (서울)	Souru usually only written in katakana

Close

While most South Korean place names are derived from words in the Chinese language, Japanese can refer to a Korean place name using Japanese on-yomi (Jeju (濟州) is Saishū (さいしゅう) in Japanese) or a pronunciation that imitates the Korean endonym name as closely as possible (Itaewon (梨泰院) is Itewon (イテウォン) or Ritai'in (りたいいん) in Japanese). Many place names in Korea have at least two of the pronunciations, the first being based on the Japanese on-yomi or kun-yomi and the second being based on the Korean endonym, with the latter being made so that the Japanese could navigate and ask for directions more clearly to native Koreans. Korean-based pronunciations are usually written in katakana.

This section needs additional citations for verification. (September 2020)

More information Taiwan (Taiwan (台湾)), English name ...

Taiwan (Taiwan (台湾))
English name	Japanese name		Endonym		Notes
	Non on-yomi	On-yomi	Name	Language
Kaohsiung	Takao (高雄)[17] Kaoshun[17]	(‡Kōyū)	Gāoxióng	Mandarin	Takao is based on the Siraya name for the city.[18][better source needed]
			Ko-hiông	Taiwanese Hokkien
			Kô-hiùng	Hakka
Kinmen Quemoy	Jinmen (金門)	Kinmon	Jīnmén	Mandarin
			Kim-mn̂g-koān	Taiwanese Hokkien
			Kîm-mùn-yen	Hakka
Taichung	Taijon (台中) Taitson	Taichū	Táizhōng (臺中)	Mandarin	Transcriptions based on Mandarin pronunciation and Chinese postal romanization, respectively
			Tâi-tiong	Taiwanese Hokkien
			Thòi-chûng	Hakka
Tainan		Tainan (台南)	Táinán (臺南)	Mandarin
			Tâi-lâm	Taiwanese Hokkien
			Thòi-nàm	Hakka
Taipei	Taipei (台北)	Taihoku	Táiběi (臺北)	Mandarin	Transcription based on Chinese postal romanization
			Tâi-pak	Taiwanese Hokkien
			Thòi-pet	Hakka
Taitung	Taidon (台東)	Taitō	Táidōng (臺東)	Mandarin	Transcription based on Mandarin pronunciation
			Tâi-tang	Taiwanese Hokkien
			Thòi-tûng	Hakka

Close

Similar to Chinese exonyms, Japanese can either use a transcription based on Mandarin or the Japanese on-yomi of the endonym. However, there are some Japanese place names that are unrelated to the Chinese name of the place, but are actually based on the Taiwanese aboriginal languages.

• Exonym and endonym
• Names of Asian cities in different languages
• Japanese place names
• List of Japanese prefectural name etymologies