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| sci.lang.japan FAQ / 9. Names |
Japanese has a complex writing system consisting of two ways of writing, kanji and kana, and romanization is also accepted. See 1. Writing. To write your name for purposes of identification in Japan, you will probably use katakana. Rules for transcription of English into katakana are explained in 5.1. How do I write an English word in Japanese?. The FAQ also has an online English to katakana converter. Transcription into katakana is based on pronunciation, so you may wish to ask a native Japanese speaker for help.
| Turn English into katakana: |
If you are living in Japan and think you need to get a name written in Japanese for some purpose, please check this carefully. Some official documents actually need romanized forms, and you may even need to get a romanized seal. For example, the alien registration card uses romanized names, and if you plan to purchase a vehicle, you will need to get a romanized inkan (stamp) rather than a katakana one.
If you wish to write your name in kanji, the FAQ has an online "ABC" to kanji converter which converts letters into similar-looking kanji, but this will not give a meaningful pronunciation. To get a kanji name with a similar pronunciation to your English name, ask an expert for help or look in a book.
If you're planning to have something permanently written on your body in a language you don't understand, please think again: some may question your wisdom. The quality of the kanji and kana used in tattooing is highly variable, and many examples of poorly-done kanji tattoos may be found on the world wide web. See also 15.2. How do I find this Japanese word for a tattoo?
Copyright © 1994-2012 Ben Bullock
If you have questions, corrections, or comments, please contact Ben Bullock or use the discussion forum / Privacy
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| Book reviews |
Convert Japanese numbers |
Handwritten kanji recognition |
Stroke order diagrams |
Convert Japanese units |