When foreigners encounter the word “Chicago” in Japanese, they usually see it written in katakana as シカゴ. However, older documents often used the kanji form 市俄古, which may look puzzling at first glance. This form is not random—it is a historical example of how Japan adapted foreign words using kanji.
The Japanese Custom of Writing Foreign Place Names in Kanji
After the Meiji Restoration, Japan rapidly absorbed Western culture. One of the challenges was how to represent foreign place names in Japanese texts. Since katakana writing was not yet widely used, foreign names were adapted into kanji as ateji (phonetic substitutes) in newspapers and books to make them easier to read.
At the time, kanji fit naturally into printed texts and made them more accessible to readers. Printing technology also limited the available typefaces, so using kanji that already existed was more efficient than introducing new katakana type.
For example, many major Western cities were written with kanji, as shown below:
| City Name | Kanji Form | Modern Form |
|---|---|---|
| London | 倫敦 | ロンドン |
| New York | 紐育 | ニューヨーク |
| Paris | 巴里 | パリ |
| Boston | 波士頓 | ボストン |
Kanji forms blended naturally into texts and allowed readers to intuitively grasp the meaning, which is why they were widely used.
How “市俄古” Was Created
The kanji “市俄古” was not chosen for meaning, but rather for sound. It was a purely phonetic transcription of the word “Chicago.” Each character represents a sound:
| Kanji | Reading | Phonetic Role |
|---|---|---|
| 市 | し (shi) | シ (shi) |
| 俄 | が (ga) | ガ (ga) |
| 古 | こ (ko) | ゴ (go) |
Together, this produced “Shigako,” which is close to the actual pronunciation “Chicago.” It was not perfect, but in context, readers understood the intended meaning.
In addition, “市,” “俄,” and “古” were relatively simple and familiar characters, making them suitable for newspapers and accessible to the general readership. Thus, the choice was driven more by readability than by semantic meaning.
Comparison with Other Foreign City Names
Chicago was not unique. Many other cities were also written in kanji.
| City (Modern Spelling) | Kanji Form | Reading | Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | 舊金山 | サンフランシスコ | “Gold Mountain,” referencing the Gold Rush |
| Washington | 華盛頓 | ワシントン | Constructed mainly for phonetic accuracy |
| Moscow | 莫斯科 | モスクワ | Still used in modern Chinese |
| Berlin | 伯林 | ベルリン | Concise and easy to recognize |
Many of these kanji forms were shared internationally, often based on Chinese transcriptions, which Japan later adopted.
Why Kanji Transcriptions Disappeared
Over time, forms like “市俄古” fell out of use. Several reasons explain this change:
- Educational Reform
Foreign words were standardized into katakana in schools, which shaped public usage. - Risk of Misinterpretation
Kanji carry meanings. “市俄古” might be misread as “an old Russian market” or something unrelated, causing confusion. - Printing Technology
Early printing relied on available kanji type. As katakana fonts became standardized, there was no longer a need for substitutes.
| Reason | Details | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Education Reform | Katakana was enforced for loanwords | Consistency in usage |
| Avoiding Misunderstanding | Kanji have meanings that could confuse readers | Clearer communication |
| Printing Technology | Katakana type became widely available | Katakana became dominant |
As a result, “シカゴ” in katakana became the accepted and standardized form.
The Cultural Meaning of Ateji
Although “市俄古” is no longer in use, it remains a symbolic example of how Japan integrated foreign culture during modernization.
Ateji carried not only linguistic but also social significance.
| Aspect | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Education | Reading them showed one’s literacy | “倫敦” (London) was recognizable only to the educated |
| History | Reflected the social context | Newspapers reported “市俄古博覧会” (Chicago Expo) |
| Internationalism | Shared with Chinese forms | “莫斯科” (Moscow) still survives today |
Learning about ateji is not just about words—it reveals the cultural and historical background of Japan’s encounter with the world.
Conclusion
Writing “Chicago” as “市俄古” was simply an example of ateji, using kanji to approximate foreign sounds. It was a common practice in the Meiji and early Showa eras, and a way of blending Western names into Japanese writing while also reflecting intellectual status.
Eventually, katakana replaced these forms due to education, clarity, and printing advances. Yet “市俄古” survives as evidence of Japan’s linguistic creativity and its cultural efforts to understand and adapt to the wider world.
Today, “シカゴ” is the standard form, but knowing the old transcription enriches our understanding of both Japanese language history and international cultural exchange.
