▁cred ited ▁to ▁the ▁kan ji ▁ ▁found ▁on ▁pot tery ▁at ▁the ▁arch ae ological ▁site ▁of ▁M ats ut aka ▁in ▁Mie ▁Pref ect ure ▁that ▁dates ▁to ▁the ▁late ▁ 2 nd ▁century . ▁ ▁Ta ▁() ▁is ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁many ▁place ▁names ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁in ▁many ▁family ▁names . ▁Most ▁of ▁these ▁places ▁are ▁somehow ▁related ▁to ▁the ▁p addy ▁field ▁and , ▁in ▁many ▁cases , ▁are ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁a ▁particular ▁location . ▁For ▁example , ▁where ▁a ▁river ▁runs ▁through ▁a ▁village , ▁the ▁place ▁east ▁of ▁river ▁may ▁be ▁called ▁H ig ash ida ▁( ), ▁literally ▁" east ▁p addy ▁field ." ▁A ▁place ▁with ▁a ▁newly ▁ir rig ated ▁p addy ▁field , ▁especially ▁those ▁during ▁or ▁later ▁than ▁E do ▁period , ▁may ▁be ▁called ▁N it ta ▁or ▁Sh inden ▁( both ▁), ▁" new ▁p addy ▁field ." ▁In ▁some ▁places , ▁la kes ▁and ▁mar sh es ▁were ▁li ken ed ▁to ▁a ▁p addy ▁field ▁and ▁were ▁named ▁with ▁ta , ▁like ▁H ak k ō da ▁( ). ▁ ▁Today , ▁many ▁family ▁names ▁have ▁ta ▁as ▁a ▁component , ▁a ▁practice ▁which ▁can ▁be ▁largely ▁attributed ▁to ▁a ▁government ▁ed ict ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁Me iji ▁Period ▁which ▁required ▁all ▁citizens ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁family ▁name . ▁Many ▁chose ▁a ▁name ▁based ▁on ▁some ▁ge ographical ▁feature ▁associated ▁with ▁their ▁residence ▁or ▁occupation , ▁and ▁as ▁nearly ▁three ▁fourth s