Odake

Odake is a Japanese surname that appears in historical and contemporary records of Japan. The name is rendered in kanji as either 尾鹿, meaning “tail deer,” or 小竹, meaning “small bamboo,” depending on the family lineage. It is most common in the Kansai region but also found throughout the country. The surname is estimated to be held by a few thousand individuals, making it relatively uncommon compared to names such as Sato or Suzuki.

Notable persons with the surname include Yui Odake, a Japanese film director renowned for her work in the 1990s; Akira Odake, a former professional baseball pitcher who played for the Hanshin Tigers from 2002 to 2008; and Haruto Odake, a contemporary voice actor known for roles in anime series released in the 2010s. In the field of science, Masaru Odake was a prominent pharmacologist who contributed to the study of anti-inflammatory agents during the 1980s. Two fictional characters bear the surname: Kaito Odake, a detective in a popular manga, and Maya Odake, a supporting character in a science‑fiction video game series.

The origin of the name is believed to be topographic, referencing a geographic feature or animal that was significant in the family's early history. While Odake is not among Japan's most common surnames, it has appeared in several cultural and professional contexts across the country.