Taku

Taku is a romanization that may refer to several unrelated things in different languages, including places in China and North America, a historic fortification complex, and a Japanese given name. It is not a single term with a single meaning.

In China, the Taku Forts—also called the Dagukou Forts—are a defensive complex at the mouth of the Hai River near Tianjin. They became well known in Western history for their role in the Opium Wars, particularly the Second Opium War, when Anglo-French forces attacked them in 1858–60.

In North America, the Taku River is a river in British Columbia and Alaska, south of Juneau, feeding the Taku Inlet and known for salmon runs and surrounding communities.

In Japan, Taku is a common masculine given name and, less commonly, a surname. It can be written with various kanji characters, giving different meanings such as expansion or craftsmanship, depending on the chosen characters.

Other uses include historical or geographic references in East Asia where the name Taku appears in romanized form. The spelling reflects the transliteration practices of different languages and time periods, and not all references share a common origin.