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This is a small supplement to [my previous
question](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/43790/is-it-always-
necessary-to-ask-how-someones-name-is-pronounced-if-you-encounter) about the
jinmeiyō kanji. Are they also used regularly in place names, like cities and
towns, or only for people? And are place names similarly difficult to guess
the pronunciation of without asking? Are furigana typically used on signs and
documents for place names?
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question
names
Do place names often use jinmeiyō kanji and furigana?
Place names, and surnames use whatever kanji they're supposed to, however
unusual they are. Japanese kanji policy has no regulation for existing proper
names (though they do for given names of newborns). The preface of
[常用漢字表](http://www.bunka.go.jp/kokugo_nihongo/sisaku/joho/joho/kijun/naikaku/pdf/joyokanjihyo_20101130.pdf)
has a line:

> ３ この表は，都道府県名に用いる漢字及びそれに準じる漢字を除き，固有名詞を対象とするものではない。  
>  _This chart does not affect proper names except kanji used in prefecture
> names and their equivalents._

That's why Japanese government maintains a huge number of variants for
resident registration.

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

It's simply like we can't change the spelling of
[_Featherstonhaugh_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Featherstonhaugh) or
[_Woolfardisworthy_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woolfardisworthy,_Torridge)
because they don't pronounce like that.

Of course the same applies to reading. For some reason, English WP has a list
for [Japanese unreadable place
names](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Japan/Place_names_with_unusual_readings)
whose great portion is unimaginable without pronunciation aid except for local
residents.

Thus, documents targeting locals isn't likely to put furigana on them, but
those expect public to read, such as newspapers, may well have furigana. I
have never seen road signs have furigana though, probably because they always
have romaji instead.

Also see: [What does it mean when newspapers give furigana for 常用
kanji?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/20913/7810)
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answer
All reasonably sized JR stations (and AFAIK, all JR East stations) and many
private railway (non-JR) stations have Furigana on their 駅名標｛えきめいひょう｝, or
station name signs. For example, this is the sign for Tokyo Station in
Chiyoda, Tokyo:
[![here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/tjVgr.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/tjVgr.jpg).
Source:
[Wikipedia](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%A7%85%E5%90%8D%E6%A8%99#/media/File:JR_Tokyo_Keihintouhoku_Line.jpg)
(public domain image).

There isn't a big need for furigana on road signs, though. Not only because
the road signs can't really fit them, but also because road signs have Romaji,
which pretty much everyone could read. There indeed are a lot of surprises in
toponyms, such as 不忍｛しのばず｝, but even if one is new to Tokyo (where Shinobazu
is in), he/she could know the pronunciation from the Romaji.

Regarding kanji usage - not only jinmeiyō kanji are common, rare kanji in
neither the jōyō nor the jinmeiyō tables are not a rare scene as well. For
example, in Tokyo Metropolis 東京都, there is a city called 狛江｛こまえ｝市, where 狛 is
an example of a kanji that's neither jōyō nor jinmeiyō.
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