Imamura means???
Does anyone know the meaning and history behind the Japanese surname "Imamura"? Appreciate any information you can share. Thanks!
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The second component, "mura", means village, so this is probably a minor place-name. Mura is a common Japanese surname component. Most Japanese surnames don't have much of a history, as they were imposed on people by the state in the 1870s. Prior to that the majority of the population didn't have hereditary surnames and didn't seem to need them, particularly the peasantry. Often, all the inhabitants of a vilage were given the name of the village as their surname.
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