Most Chinese, Korean, or Vietnamese have 2 to 4 syllables while most Japanese names are longer.
Most Korean or Vietnamese names also use the onyomi pronunciation of a given set of Chinese characters while Japan uses both kunyomi and onyomi pronunciations.
Why is it like this? Why did Korea and Vietnam adopt Chinese naming customs but Japan didn’t?
3 comments
Why did the other “Sinosphere countries” adapt Thr four kanji or three kanji names?
Broadly, there are two aspects to your question.
* In terms of graphemes, Japanese speakers did indeed adopt the Chinese custom, where surnames and given names consist of one or two characters.
* In terms of phonemes, _kun’yomi_ names appear to be more common. This may be due to the way that native _kun’yomi_ morphemes are interpreted as being more intimate, more … well, **native**. Meanwhile, _on’yomi_ morphemes are considered to be more formal, higher-register, stilted and standoffish, in a way that seems inappropriate for someone’s day-to-day name — but fitting for a posthumous name. Compare the _kun’yomi_ name _Akihito_ while alive, and the _on’yomi_ name _Heiwa_ posthumously.
I think a lot maybe to do with geography, Japan having a sea help them stay isolate from the wrath of the Chinese empire. Where as Korea and Vietnam all had to kowtow to Chinese Dynasty and the Chinese court had a lot influence to their countries and Nobles all went to china to pick up fashions and language and religion etc. Need to dig up the history books for more precise info.