Most foreigners in Japan, unless from a country where their name is already written in Chinese characters, will spell out the pronunciation of their name in katakana. Katakana is usually used when the person’s name has a foreign origin. At times, some parents may even mix kanji and hiragana in one name. In that case, the meaning behind the name is not clear upon reading it on the other hand, no one will misread it. So taking an example from above, they may decide that their child’s name Yuki is written 「ゆき」. Some parents choose to give their children names with no kanji but in kana instead. In fact, people will often describe the meaning or common use of the character when telling a person their name for the first time so that they can picture the characters used to write the name. These names and characters can be a part of a longer name using a combination with other characters to further add meaning to the name. Jun can be written as 淳 or 純 (pure), or 潤 (prosper) Yuki can be written as 幸 (happiness), 雪 (snow), as well as other combinations of characters for yu and ki separately not to be confused with Yuuki Yoshi can be written as 吉 (good luck), 義 (righteous), and 良 (virtuous) This is how Japanese names can differ in writing and meaning even if they are pronounced entirely the same. Kanji characters can have different meanings despite sounding alike such as the name Haru which can be written as : Most Japanese names are written using Kanji. Japan's writing system can be classified into two: Kanji, which is influenced by Chinese characters, and Kana which consists of Hiragana and Katakana. Things get confusing on documents if you mix up the styles. Regardless of which you choose, the important thing is that you choose one and stick to it. Last Name - First Name - Middle Name (← Some will assume this is your first name because of the placement) There is also confusion where to choose to put your middle name, as many Japanese people will expect that the very last part of the name is your first name. Some people end up having issues later on when the name on the passport doesn’t match legal documents exactly. Tip: If you do have a middle name and it’s on your passport, it’s recommended to include it in all documents in Japan, especially legal ones. ![]() If a person in Japan has a middle name, it’s likely that they grew up in a different country or one or both of their parents are not Japanese. ![]() Note that it is written as Dazai Osamu rather than Osamu Dazai which is how Western names are written.Īlso note that Japanese names rarely use middle names unlike in the West. 太宰 (Dazai) represents his surname while 治 (Osamu) represents his given name. ![]() Japanese names are written with the surname first and the given name last.įor example, let's look at the name of famous Japanese writer 太宰治 (Dazai Osamu). Like many countries in Asia, Japan's naming system is different from the Western naming system. Have you wondered how Japanese names are structured and why there’s sometimes confusion? Surname Before Given Name Recent Popular Japanese first names (2022 ~ 2023 Ranking).Learn the basics of the structure of Japanese names, recent popular examples (and some unique ones!) and how to use them when speaking Japanese. There are also some rules to be followed when addressing a Japanese person by name. Japanese names are carefully chosen by parents considering the characters' meaning and combination, how it's read and the sound.
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