I just stumbled across this on the net. It was the answer to the question of "Why are there so many people in Japan named "Suzuki":
The name Suzuki first appeared during Japan’s feudal period, and was originally pronounced Susuki. It comes from the name of a stick that was stuck upright in the top of piles of harvested rice plants to attract the favour and protection of the gods. A priest at a famous shrine called Kumano Jinja which had branches all over Japan, named himself after the Susuki, and many farmers copied the idea in hopes of ensuring an abundant harvest. Since good harvests were such an important part of the lives of ordinary people the name spread quickly all over the country.
So there you have it. I'm now calling my bike Lucky Stick Falcon.
The name Suzuki first appeared during Japan’s feudal period, and was originally pronounced Susuki. It comes from the name of a stick that was stuck upright in the top of piles of harvested rice plants to attract the favour and protection of the gods. A priest at a famous shrine called Kumano Jinja which had branches all over Japan, named himself after the Susuki, and many farmers copied the idea in hopes of ensuring an abundant harvest. Since good harvests were such an important part of the lives of ordinary people the name spread quickly all over the country.
So there you have it. I'm now calling my bike Lucky Stick Falcon.
