Is there any Japanese language reason why Google Maps hyphenates some names and not others?


Looking at Google Maps I noticed when translating to Japanese some names are
hyphenated and others are not. It seems to be arbitrary but maybe there's some
Japanese rule I'm unaware of

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Wy9En.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Wy9En.jpg)

The first example I noticed is "Daikan-Yama" which at first I thought, "Okay,
that's strange" but then I thought, "well, I guess if you think of it as
_Mount Daikan_ then it might make sense".

But there's is apparently no rhyme or reason as to when something is
hyphenated. Followed the "Daikan-Yama" example I'd expect "Sangu-bashi" as in
"Sangu Bridge" or "Aka-saka" as in "Red Hill" or "Shibu-Ya" as in "Shibu
Valley". We see "Higashi-Kitazawa" for "East Kitazawa" but we don't see
"Shimo-Kitazawa" for "Lower Kitazawa".

Is there any actual rule or is it just arbitrary?




Seeing _Ikeno-Ue_ I'll venture a guess and say that there is no reason why
Google Maps hyphenates some place names and not others.

Here ノ is the particle の and I would say that hyphenation of 池ノ上 _ike no ue_
based on the Japanese language should be one of the following

  1. Ikenoue
  2. Ike-no-Ue (or Ike-No-Ue)
  3. Ike no Ue (or Ike No Ue)

although I'd definitely choose the first (it a single name).

In some cases (e.g. _Shimbashi_ ) Google Maps seems to use the romanization
given by the train company, but in this case Keio Corporation has romanized
池ノ上 as _Ikenoue_

[![Ikenoue](https://i.stack.imgur.com/5kQIo.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/5kQIo.png)

* * *

Some hyphens seem to be placed appropriately, separating a name from a prefix
( _Shin-Daita_ ) or from a suffix ( _Meidai-Mae_ ).

Maybe the hyphen in _Daikan-Yama_ was put to distinguish _n'ya_ (two morae)
and _nya_ (one mora). Here 山 _yama_ should be part of the name and not a
suffix. (And, by the way "Mount Daikan" would be _Daikan- **San_**.)

I agree that the hyphenation of _Shimokitazawa_ and _Higashi-Kitazawa_ is
inconsistent, as is the (non-)hyphenation of _Higashishinbashi_ (where
_Higashi_ should be a prefix)

[![higashishinbashi](https://i.stack.imgur.com/gAw7q.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/gAw7q.png)

* * *

## tl;dr

> Is there any Japanese language reason why Google Maps hyphenates some names
> and not others?

No.

