IJN CV Names
Moderators: wdolson, MOD_War-in-the-Pacific-Admirals-Edition
IJN CV Names
I had a player ask me for a few additional IJN CV Names. My knowledge of Japanese is ZERO and would like to see if anyone could come up with anything? Japanese CVs were named after birds or mythical creatures. If you have an idea, please Post with the name ie Shokaku and its translation 'Flying Crane.'

Member: Treaty, Reluctant Admiral and Between the Storms Mod Team.
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CT Grognard
- Posts: 694
- Joined: Sun May 16, 2010 6:42 pm
- Location: Cape Town, South Africa
RE: IJN CV Names
Firstly, the historical ones, they were named after mythical creatures or birds at first, but it appears that towards the end of the war a large number were being named for mountains (especially holy ones):
DRAGON:
Ryujo: "Prancing Dragon"
Soryu: "Blue Dragon"
Hiryu: "Flying Dragon"
Unryu: "Cloud Dragon"
CRANE:
Shokaku: "Flying Crane"
Zuikaku: "Fortunate Crane"
PHOENIX:
Hosho: "Flying Phoenix"
Zuiho: "Fortunate Phoenix"
Shoho: "Auspicious Phoenix"
Taiho: "Great Phoenix"
Ryuho: "Dragon Phoenix"
HAWK:
Taiyo: "Goshawk"
Chuyo: "Soaring Hawk"
Unyo: "Cleaving Hawk"
Hiyo: "Flying Hawk"
PLACES:
Akagi: Mount Akagi
Kaga: Kaga Province
Amagi: Mount Amagi
Katsuragi: Mount Katsuragi
Kasagi: Mount Kasagi
Aso: Mount Aso
Might I suggest the following for Japanese carriers named after sacred shrines and places:
"Fuji", "Tate", "Haku", "Taisen", "Kaimon", "Koya", "Izumo", "Kumano".
DRAGON:
Ryujo: "Prancing Dragon"
Soryu: "Blue Dragon"
Hiryu: "Flying Dragon"
Unryu: "Cloud Dragon"
CRANE:
Shokaku: "Flying Crane"
Zuikaku: "Fortunate Crane"
PHOENIX:
Hosho: "Flying Phoenix"
Zuiho: "Fortunate Phoenix"
Shoho: "Auspicious Phoenix"
Taiho: "Great Phoenix"
Ryuho: "Dragon Phoenix"
HAWK:
Taiyo: "Goshawk"
Chuyo: "Soaring Hawk"
Unyo: "Cleaving Hawk"
Hiyo: "Flying Hawk"
PLACES:
Akagi: Mount Akagi
Kaga: Kaga Province
Amagi: Mount Amagi
Katsuragi: Mount Katsuragi
Kasagi: Mount Kasagi
Aso: Mount Aso
Might I suggest the following for Japanese carriers named after sacred shrines and places:
"Fuji", "Tate", "Haku", "Taisen", "Kaimon", "Koya", "Izumo", "Kumano".
RE: IJN CV Names
Kurama (neme of a mountain) and Kaimon (name of a volcano) were planned carrier names.
- castor troy
- Posts: 14331
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- Location: Austria
RE: IJN CV Names
ORIGINAL: John 3rd
I had a player ask me for a few additional IJN CV Names. My knowledge of Japanese is ZERO and would like to see if anyone could come up with anything? Japanese CVs were named after birds or mythical creatures. If you have an idea, please Post with the name ie Shokaku and its translation 'Flying Crane.'
lol, I love the moments when I'm bitten in the ass for being a non native English speaker because the first thing that came to my mind was "wth why did they name it Flying crane?" as I've thought about this, a "flying crane":

just to figure out the next moment they meant a bird of course.
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RE: IJN CV Names
ORIGINAL: CT Grognard
Might I suggest the following for Japanese carriers named after sacred shrines and places:
"Fuji", "Tate", "Haku", "Taisen", "Kaimon", "Koya", "Izumo", "Kumano".
During WWII, Izumo was old training cruiser.
Kumano is a Mogami-class cruiser. [:-]
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Hiltibrant
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Thu Jan 05, 2012 7:12 am
RE: IJN CV Names
If you want some more traditional names, here are the names of some mythical places/creatures that follow the common naming traditions of the Japanese at the time:
Seiryu (azure dragon)
Suzaku (vermillion bird; Red bird – another name for the phoenix)
Zuiryu (auspicious dragon - a modern Soryu-class submarine of the same name exists)
Kenryu (sword dragon - a modern Soryu-class submarine of the same name exists)
Hakuryu (white dragon - a modern Soryu-class submarine of the same name exists)
Shiryu (the 4 dragon kings)
Shinryu (Spirit Dragon - NB! this was also used to name rocket-propelled kamikaze planes)
Kuzuryu (nine-headed dragon)
Ryugu (the undersea palace of Ryugin, the dragon god of the sea.)
Remember that in some cases, the Japanese simply recycled the names of older ships – before WWI, it seemed there was no guideline as to what kind of ship was named how – this is reflected in that many later warships reused names carried by a variety of 19th century vessels – Akagi, Hiei, Hosho, Ryujo, Katsuragi, etc.:
Tenryu (Heavenly dragon – the original Tenryu was sunk in late 1942, so why not recycle the name and use it for a carrier - one of the Unryu's, for example?)
Choyo
Chinyen (means: “striking from a long distance” – quite a fitting name for a carrier, no?)
Saiyen (means: “help from a distance”)
Seiryu (azure dragon)
Suzaku (vermillion bird; Red bird – another name for the phoenix)
Zuiryu (auspicious dragon - a modern Soryu-class submarine of the same name exists)
Kenryu (sword dragon - a modern Soryu-class submarine of the same name exists)
Hakuryu (white dragon - a modern Soryu-class submarine of the same name exists)
Shiryu (the 4 dragon kings)
Shinryu (Spirit Dragon - NB! this was also used to name rocket-propelled kamikaze planes)
Kuzuryu (nine-headed dragon)
Ryugu (the undersea palace of Ryugin, the dragon god of the sea.)
Remember that in some cases, the Japanese simply recycled the names of older ships – before WWI, it seemed there was no guideline as to what kind of ship was named how – this is reflected in that many later warships reused names carried by a variety of 19th century vessels – Akagi, Hiei, Hosho, Ryujo, Katsuragi, etc.:
Tenryu (Heavenly dragon – the original Tenryu was sunk in late 1942, so why not recycle the name and use it for a carrier - one of the Unryu's, for example?)
Choyo
Chinyen (means: “striking from a long distance” – quite a fitting name for a carrier, no?)
Saiyen (means: “help from a distance”)
RE: IJN CV Names
ORIGINAL: castor troy
ORIGINAL: John 3rd
I had a player ask me for a few additional IJN CV Names. My knowledge of Japanese is ZERO and would like to see if anyone could come up with anything? Japanese CVs were named after birds or mythical creatures. If you have an idea, please Post with the name ie Shokaku and its translation 'Flying Crane.'
lol, I love the moments when I'm bitten in the ass for being a non native English speaker because the first thing that came to my mind was "wth why did they name it Flying crane?" as I've thought about this, a "flying crane":
just to figure out the next moment they meant a bird of course.
Castor: You CRACK me up! Nearly spewed my tea when I read/saw this!

Member: Treaty, Reluctant Admiral and Between the Storms Mod Team.
RE: IJN CV Names
Those are great and some are very creative. THANKS!

Member: Treaty, Reluctant Admiral and Between the Storms Mod Team.
- HansBolter
- Posts: 7457
- Joined: Thu Jul 06, 2006 12:30 pm
- Location: United States
RE: IJN CV Names
Open up the Iron Man Japan scenario. It has a slew of additional ahistorical CVs in it. A good source for CV names.
Hans
RE: IJN CV Names
ORIGINAL: castor troy
ORIGINAL: John 3rd
I had a player ask me for a few additional IJN CV Names. My knowledge of Japanese is ZERO and would like to see if anyone could come up with anything? Japanese CVs were named after birds or mythical creatures. If you have an idea, please Post with the name ie Shokaku and its translation 'Flying Crane.'
lol, I love the moments when I'm bitten in the ass for being a non native English speaker because the first thing that came to my mind was "wth why did they name it Flying crane?" as I've thought about this, a "flying crane":
just to figure out the next moment they meant a bird of course.
Ahaha That just made me LOL at work. Drew some looks.
Made me think of this sign in Japan.

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- Onime No Kyo
- Posts: 16846
- Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2004 5:55 am
RE: IJN CV Names
ORIGINAL: CT Grognard
Firstly, the historical ones, they were named after mythical creatures or birds at first, but it appears that towards the end of the war a large number were being named for mountains (especially holy ones):
DRAGON:
Ryujo: "Prancing Dragon"
Soryu: "Blue Dragon"
Hiryu: "Flying Dragon"
Unryu: "Cloud Dragon"
CRANE:
Shokaku: "Flying Crane"
Zuikaku: "Fortunate Crane"
PHOENIX:
Hosho: "Flying Phoenix"
Zuiho: "Fortunate Phoenix"
Shoho: "Auspicious Phoenix"
Taiho: "Great Phoenix"
Ryuho: "Dragon Phoenix"
HAWK:
Taiyo: "Goshawk"
Chuyo: "Soaring Hawk"
Unyo: "Cleaving Hawk"
Hiyo: "Flying Hawk"
PLACES:
Akagi: Mount Akagi
Kaga: Kaga Province
Amagi: Mount Amagi
Katsuragi: Mount Katsuragi
Kasagi: Mount Kasagi
Aso: Mount Aso
Might I suggest the following for Japanese carriers named after sacred shrines and places:
"Fuji", "Tate", "Haku", "Taisen", "Kaimon", "Koya", "Izumo", "Kumano".
I recall that the Akagi and Kaga were laid down as BCs, and since the Japanese inherited the British notion that its unlucky to change a ship's name they stuck with it. [:D]
"Mighty is the Thread! Great are its works and insane are its inhabitants!" -Brother Mynok
- khyberbill
- Posts: 1941
- Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2007 6:29 pm
- Location: new milford, ct
RE: IJN CV Names
If these are to be late war CV's what is the Japanese name for target?If you have an idea, please Post
"Its a dog eat dog world Sammy and I am wearing Milkbone underwear" -Norm.
- Treetop64
- Posts: 933
- Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2005 4:20 am
- Location: 519 Redwood City - BASE (Hex 218, 70)
RE: IJN CV Names
The Japanese Navy had some rather creative and poetic names for virtually all of their "front line" naval vessels.

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Commander Stormwolf
- Posts: 1623
- Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2008 5:11 pm
RE: IJN CV Names
what was the name of the fourth Yamato hull?
was it Kii?
"No Enemy Survives Contact with the Plan" - Commander Stormwolf
RE: IJN CV Names
Number 111 for hull #4. Hull #5 was ship 797. They were never named as far as I can tell.
Hull 111 was started, but scrapped early in construction, 797 was never started.
Bill
Hull 111 was started, but scrapped early in construction, 797 was never started.
Bill
WIS Development Team
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Commander Stormwolf
- Posts: 1623
- Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2008 5:11 pm
RE: IJN CV Names
Hull #4 could be included in some type of scenario
player can either build it (expecting the economy to do well)
, and complete it in mid-late 1945, or be stuck with a half-complete
elephant
or scrap it as they did historically
interesting how they scrapped yamato #4 and decided to build
copies of the Hiryu instead of zuikaku / taiho
almost like they knew that completing the more elaborate designs
would be too little, too late
"No Enemy Survives Contact with the Plan" - Commander Stormwolf
RE: IJN CV Names
Perhaps named after some of the past Emperors?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Emperors_of_Japan
CR
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Emperors_of_Japan
CR
Coffee tastes better if the latrines are dug downstream from the encampment.
-- US Army Field Regulations, 1861
-- US Army Field Regulations, 1861
RE: IJN CV Names
ORIGINAL: Hiltibrant
If you want some more traditional names, here are the names of some mythical places/creatures that follow the common naming traditions of the Japanese at the time:
Seiryu (azure dragon)
Suzaku (vermillion bird; Red bird – another name for the phoenix)
Zuiryu (auspicious dragon - a modern Soryu-class submarine of the same name exists)
Kenryu (sword dragon - a modern Soryu-class submarine of the same name exists)
Hakuryu (white dragon - a modern Soryu-class submarine of the same name exists)
Shiryu (the 4 dragon kings)
Shinryu (Spirit Dragon - NB! this was also used to name rocket-propelled kamikaze planes)
Kuzuryu (nine-headed dragon)
Ryugu (the undersea palace of Ryugin, the dragon god of the sea.)
Remember that in some cases, the Japanese simply recycled the names of older ships – before WWI, it seemed there was no guideline as to what kind of ship was named how – this is reflected in that many later warships reused names carried by a variety of 19th century vessels – Akagi, Hiei, Hosho, Ryujo, Katsuragi, etc.:
Tenryu (Heavenly dragon – the original Tenryu was sunk in late 1942, so why not recycle the name and use it for a carrier - one of the Unryu's, for example?)
Choyo
Chinyen (means: “striking from a long distance” – quite a fitting name for a carrier, no?)
Saiyen (means: “help from a distance”)
I avoided recycling of names in my mod for the simple reason is that in game, it is entirely possible to keep a ship from being sunk until game end. In which case you end up with 2 ships with the same name active.
Distant Worlds Fan
'When in doubt...attack!'
'When in doubt...attack!'
RE: IJN CV Names
Name them after weapons with some "reach"?
Tetsubo - War Club
Naginata - Various Polearms
Daikyu - Longbow
Hankyu - Shortbow (a CVL o CVE?)
Ya - Arrow
Kama - A scythe
Tsurugi - Double-edged sword
Odachi, Nodachi, Tachi - Long swords
Yari - Sword blade on a spear pole
Nagamaki - Dismounted Samurai spear for use against mounted Samurai
etc.
Tetsubo - War Club
Naginata - Various Polearms
Daikyu - Longbow
Hankyu - Shortbow (a CVL o CVE?)
Ya - Arrow
Kama - A scythe
Tsurugi - Double-edged sword
Odachi, Nodachi, Tachi - Long swords
Yari - Sword blade on a spear pole
Nagamaki - Dismounted Samurai spear for use against mounted Samurai
etc.
The worst enemy of a good plan is the dream of a perfect plan. - Karl von Clausewitz
- SpitfireIX
- Posts: 264
- Joined: Thu Jan 09, 2003 10:19 am
- Location: Fort Wayne IN USA
RE: IJN CV Names
I'm not an expert, but I'm reasonably certain that the Japanese would never have named any ship after a deceased (or living) person, for a variety of reasons.ORIGINAL: CRations
Perhaps named after some of the past Emperors?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Emperors_of_Japan
CR
"I know Japanese. He is very bad. And tricky. But we Americans too smart. We catch him and give him hell."
--Benny Sablan, crewman, USS Enterprise 12/7/41
--Benny Sablan, crewman, USS Enterprise 12/7/41










