I’ll be studying abroad this semester and quite a few forms ask for my full name. Would any problems arise if I were to omit my middle name? My full name also contains II because I’m named after my dad. All of this is on my passport.
In general what’s the official order in katakana for a name like John Arnold Smith II
9 comments
Potential problems can arise yes, but the most important will be how your name appears on your zairyu (residence) card, which you won’t get until you pass through customs. Both the Toshima Ward Office and the JP Post Bank branch where I opened account asked for my middle name. I’m really not sure about the II, but I ended up having to write my name as Last, First Middle in katakana on all important forms and even then you’ll run into weird issues like when you’re trying to get internet service with SoftBank but their signup portal only accepts full-width katakana and wont let you put a space in between your first and middle name. TLDR I wouldn’t recommend omitting it. Best of luck!
Your official name will be whatever in your Last Name field, follow by your First Name field in your passport.
You get to decide your own Katakana spelling (mostly).
You will need your official name for bank and city office documents. And probably your university too.
>Would any problems arise if I were to omit my middle name?
It might not be an issue for your school application, but it will ***absolutely*** cause problems if you omit in on government forms and any official paperwork once you’re in Japan.
Your legal name in Japan will be *exactly* what is on your passport.
If your legal name is “John Jacob Doe II” your name in Japan will be “Doe II John Jacob”. If you are very, *very* lucky they might omit the II from your zairyu card. I’ve known a couple Jrs who have somehow managed to get away without their suffix, but most of the time it becomes part of your last name.
**EDIT**: Additional info – You also won’t have the option of omitting your middle name on any form or account that requires identity verification. Banks. Phone plans. Utility accounts. Netflix. All of these things will require you to enter you name *exactly* as it appears on your passport/zairyu card. Sometimes to the extent of matching capitalization.
After you arrive and visit city hall to register residence, sign up for a legal alias right away where you can omit your middle name etc, then you will get that on your health insurance card, can use it on your drivers license etc and that means you have a valid ID with your legal alias and can proceed to register bank etc etc under your legal alias
What is on your passport is likely what will be required everywhere else. I made the move to omit middle names on my passport, and it saved me worlds of pain. If your middle names are on your passport, they are required. Everywhere. Enjoy.
If it asks for your full name, you ALWAYS use your full name. That’s the point.
Japan goes by what’s on the passport. Either get the middle name removed from the passport or write it on your Japanese documents. If you omit it, while it is still on the passport they will reject your documents.
Have it match your passport. Exactly
If it’s any help, I’d try your best to make sure your paperwork with the “II” matches on any important documents you’re bringing over to use for official use (to obtain your residence card, bank accounts, phone plan, etc). My husband and I recently moved to Tokyo and when we registered in our ward it took significantly longer due to a discrepancy in his US paperwork (passport vs marriage license) with the “II”. The person helping us had to get his supervisor involved to make sure it was okay to accept paperwork that used “First Middle Last II” and “First Middle Last” when he omitted the II for convenience’s sake. The bank also had an issue with it and required a supervisor to get involved. Good luck to you in Japan!