Where Does the Name of My Channel Come From?
Hello, everyone! I’m Sachi.
Today, I want to tell you the story behind my YouTube channel name.
Maybe you’re curious about the “toralog” part—what does it mean? I get that question a lot. Even Japanese viewers who know my channel often ask me the same thing.
The name actually comes from my parents’ family business.
“Toralog” is a word I created by combining “tora” and “log”:
- Tora means “tiger” in Japanese.
- Log comes from “blog.”
My parents used to run a small business that had been passed down from the founder for 125 years. (The business changed little by little over time.)
The name of the business was Yamatora. In Japan, we call this kind of family business name a yago (屋号).
My father’s great-grandfather started a small boutique more than 100 years ago. He named it after himself—Yama from his family name, and Tora from his first name. I heard that in the very beginning, he sold seeds.
Sadly, my parents’ business eventually closed. I’m really sad about it, but we had no choice.
A yago is a unique part of Japanese culture. It’s the name of a small shop or family business, similar to a company name or a brand name. If you have your own shop, you give it a name—for example, “Ramen Shop ,” “ Café,” or “Boutique ***.”
Usually, businesses run by a corporation use a “company name,” while those run by individuals use a “yago.”
My grandmother’s era
When my grandmother was running the business, it was thriving.
I don’t know much about my great-grandfather’s or grandfather’s time, but I know my grandmother was a skilled businesswoman. She often told me she worked desperately to earn money back then. She lived through the very hard times of the Greater East Asian War, so she knew how difficult survival could be when there was nothing.
She said she worked hard to sell a variety of things so customers would always be satisfied. She never said, “I’m sorry, we don’t have that,” because she knew the business couldn’t survive without taking on any kind of work. She was truly incredible. Sometimes I can’t believe we’re related by blood—especially since I’m not very good at business! I wish I could have learned more from her.
Eventually, she expanded into plumbing services. My grandfather was the technical expert, and my grandmother found the customers. They must have been a great team.
My grandfather
I didn’t talk with my grandfather much as a child because he was already ill for as long as I can remember. But I still felt his love. Even without words, I knew he cared for me through his actions—and I loved him deeply.
When I was little, I even wrote him letters after he passed away. I must have been such a cute grandchild, don’t you think? (Although, now that I think about it… why was I writing letters to someone in heaven?)
Even now, I still feel his presence nearby, and I’m grateful for that.
My feelings as a child
To be honest, I didn’t like my family’s business name when I was a kid. In my small hometown, everyone knew our yago, even my classmates. I thought the name sounded uncool. Actually, I didn’t like my hometown at all back then. I often wondered, “Why was I born in the middle of nowhere?” I wanted to be born in a big city like Tokyo. I thought the countryside was boring and not cool, and I lumped our business name into that same feeling.
Now, things are completely different. I’m crazy about my hometown, and I can’t help admiring rural life. That’s why I often talk about my hometown in my videos and share the story of how I came to love it.
Looking back, I realize the yago is more than just a name—it’s part of my family’s history and a symbol of their hard work and resilience. Even though the business is gone, the spirit behind it still inspires me today.
A Legacy Reborn in My Own Way
I want to carry on the founder’s will in my own way. Now, I can proudly say from the bottom of my heart that my family’s yago is truly cool. The original business may be closed, but the name will live on through my channel—just in a completely different form.
