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I was reading the introduction page for [Kirara Memorial
Park](http://www.kirara-memorial-park.jp/introduce.html) (a public sports
park) in Japan, and one of the features they listed was a `「月{つき}の海{うみ}」`. As
far as I can tell, in both [English](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_mare)
and [Japanese](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9C%88%E3%81%AE%E6%B5%B7) this
phrase only really has the meaning of "Lunar mare" or "Lunar seas" (the dark
sections we can see on the moon). However, clearly this park's `月の海` is just a
nice relaxing beach: [see here](http://www.kirara-memorial-
park.jp/introduce/moon_sun.html#moon).

Next to their `月の海`, there is a `「太陽の丘」`. If I had seen this by itself I would
have just assumed it was the name of their hill...Google seems to confirm that
it's just a cool name to give a hill. This makes me think they're going with a
sun/moon naming theme, but I can't say that with authority.

What my question is, is there an apparent reason why they're calling their
beach `月の海`? By that I mean is there something I'm missing (a play on words or
whatnot) that a Japanese person would catch and understand? Or is it just (as
far as anyone can tell) a name they gave their beach (which, by the way, I
think is an awesome name!).
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2012-01-24T02:33:02.503
4426
2012-01-24T08:00:25.343
921
question
meaning
Lunar Seas and Sun Hills at a sports park?
No reason in particular. Things get named like that, even/especially obscenely
mundane things, to market them and make them seem special. You will see a lot
of noncontroversial (often borderline propagandistic-sounding) "good things"
in names like these. i.e. "Happiness," "Lovely," "Bright," and things that
children like, like stars, the moon and the sun. There is no underlying
meaning.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-24T08:00:25.343
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2012-01-24T08:00:25.343
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4426
answer