Himura

Himura is a Japanese surname written in kanji as 緋村, read Himura. The first character 緋 means crimson or scarlet, and 村 means village; together they form a toponymic-style surname. The name is relatively uncommon in Japan.

In popular culture, Himura is best known as the family name of Kenshin Himura, the central character of the manga and anime series Rurouni Kenshin by Nobuhiro Watsuki. Kenshin, also known as Battōsai the Manslayer, is depicted as a former assassin who pledges to protect the innocent as a wandering swordsman during the early Meiji period. The prominence of this character has made the surname widely recognized among fans of anime and manga, particularly in international audiences.

Outside of fiction, the surname appears very rarely in public life in Japan, and there is limited publicly available information about its historical usage or distribution. Like many Japanese surnames formed from kanji, it is primarily found in personal names and may occur regionally in some families, though it is not among the common clan names.

Etymology note: The combination of crimson and village evokes a vivid, perhaps poetic origin, but as with many such surnames, there is no single definitive historical meaning. The name remains mostly associated with the fictional character, while its kanji form continues to be recognized by readers and viewers.