Your Japanese name

[AlbertSiegel]

If you were to have a Japanese name, what would it be? I am asking real names and not jokes.

[ketchupkatsu]

What happens if you already have a Japanese name, but don't use it.

My mom named me Hideo, but I rarely use it outside of Japan and use my middle name instead.

[Taro Toporific]

If you were to have a Japanese name, what would it be? I am asking real names and not jokes.

"Taro" was my name when working the premium-hotshit-VIP help desk for 20 years. I'm used to it.
I have an FG seipai friend in named Robert "Red" Baer---a large redheaded bear of guy who uses "Aka-Kuma" as his name. Japanese always say, "so ka" when he introduces himself.

Photo via
The World of Red Baer

[Charles]

[American Oyaji]

Taro,
Taro is the name I go by around the Misawa club scene.
It was a nick name that a Japanese friend of mine gave me cuz she couldnt pronounce "Charles" so well.

I would be Kuroyama Taro

[emperor]

[Red Floyd]

Well, my name's Renzo. So possibly Kenzo, Ranzo, or if I wanted to be badass, Hanzo.

[Greji]

[amdg]

Takenoshita has always been my favorite Japanese name.
Take-no-shit-eh?

[ichigo partygirl]

[Mulboyne]

Top centre...Mr ABUNAI!!!

[Akito]

[oyajikun]

I think mine is Nombe.

[Mels]

Since many can't say Melissa-- (end up calling me Mo risa, Me risa) my cousin's call me Mari-nechan...so Mari. Other friends call me Meruzu (Mels). I like Mari better.

[6810]

With regard to naming rules, I read in the Yomiuri a couple of years ago that there is, as far as I know there is a kind of blacklist for kanji that CAN'T be used.

Things like the kanji for cancer, excrement and so on, were officially put on this list.

So, I imagine if you called your kid shit-cancer-death, they wouldn't allow you to register it on your family certificate at city hall. But I don't know for sure.

There may even be a list of acceptable kanji (obviously there are hundreds of standard ones, and everyone knows that naming is governed by birthdate, lunar calenday, euphonics, stroke number and various other superstitions, well founded or otherwise). I don't know though.

But maybe not, given the way some of the parents name their boutique kids attending eikaiwas etc...

[GomiGirl]

[Mulboyne]

With regard to naming rules, I read in the Yomiuri a couple of years ago that there is, as far as I know there is a kind of blacklist for kanji that CAN'T be used.

We had a thread on that last year here. Sadly, though, only the Japan Times links in that thread still work - the redesign of the Asahi/Mainichi/Kyodo websites appears to have killed off quite a few although the stories are probably there if you look in the website archives.

[Papa-Lazarou]

I usually go by thge name of "Ken" when clubbing, there i am glad i got that off my chest

[IkemenTommy]

Pfft.. who would be dumb enough to reveal their true identity on the net?

[homesweethome]

[B Gallagher]