Save Type Surname (from location) Usage Japanese (Rare) Scripts 阪柳(Japanese Kanji) Pronounced Pron. SAH-KAH-YA-NA-GEE [key] Meaning & History 阪 (Saka) means "slope, hill" and 柳 (yanagi) means "willow". A notable bearer is Arisu Sakayanagi, a character from The Classroom of the Elite light novel series.