Higashikata

Higashikata is a Japanese surname and, less commonly, a place-name in Japan. It is written with the kanji 東方, commonly read as Higashikata in given names and family names. The combination connotes “east” (higashi) and “direction” or “side” (kata), and is most recognizable in modern culture through fictional usage.

In popular culture, Higashikata is best known as the surname of the Higashikata family in the manga and anime series JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, created by Hirohiko Araki. In Part 4, Diamond Is Unbreakable, the protagonist is Josuke Higashikata, a high school student with a Stand ability. The Higashikata family features prominently in the town of Morioh, with its members’ fates intertwined with the town’s mysteries and the broader JoJo narrative.

Real-world use of Higashikata as a surname is relatively uncommon. It can be found among private individuals in Japan, as with many family names formed from common kanji compounds. There are also geographic names that use the same kanji, though exact readings and specific municipalities bearing the name Higashikata are not widely documented in standard reference sources.

See also: East (Higashi) and the kanji 東方, which appears in various Japanese names and terms. In popular culture, Higashikata is most closely associated with Josuke Higashikata and the fictional Higashikata family of Diamond Is Unbreakable.