As a Japanese descendant, should I write my last name in their original Kanji, or Katakana?

9 comments

1. Yonsei. Nice. Be proud of your heritage. I’m not Japanese, so ignore the last comment.

   Phhh. I don’t think its weird at all.

   I was going to ask if you remembered or knew the exact kanji, but I guess if its Tanaka, it may be more straightforward.

   If I were you, I would push for those characters to be used at every opportunity, and if they say no, then at least you’ve done what you could. Personally, I should think that Japanese people will sympathise if you have kept that name through 3 generations as an American.

   I doubt you are the only Japanese descendant to go through the same thing.

   “Written in Katakana, it does not become aparent that it is a Japanese name”

   Yes it does. Japanese people aren’t stupid.

2. I think it’s ok to use kanji. Japanese media often use katakana because they either don’t know how to write the name in kanji (because official documents are in romaji) or to show that that person isn’t Japanese, but there isn’t an official rule saying you have to write your name in katakana if you’re not Japanese. Just be careful that even very common names like Tanaka have alternative rare kanji versions like 田仲, so make sure you’re 100% positive with the kanji.

3. I’ve heard it’s possible to register an “official alias” with city hall if you want to use a different spelling or whatever. People sometimes do this if they want to keep their maiden names, for example – or else, they just use it unofficially in a business setting.

4. If you’re ever a permanent resident in Japan or studying abroad there and looking to use Kanji on an official ID card they won’t allow it. As a foreigner, regardless of family history, you are required to use katakana. Kanji is reserved for Japanese citizens in an official capacity. Though you’re average Japanese person won’t care at all how you write your name. They’ll likely think it’s cool you use kanji.

5. Also 4th gen but currently living in Japan. I use both (Figured out some ateji for my first and middle names too but thankfully both are Japanese-y so it’s not like “This is kanji for Bobert or Gretel…”) as well at Romaji for all my official stuff and it can get very confusing.

   Conversely, there’s a few Japanese entertainers who write their fairly Japanese-sounding names/stage names all in katakana too.

6. According to the Japanese govt…Kani in your name is reserved for Japanese citizens. Your last name would probably be written in hiragana on some forms and your first name will forever be written in katakana.

7. I remember when Alberto Fujimori was president of Peru, and when his picture / video of him was shown on Japanese TV, it would say フジモリ大統領, rather than showing 藤森大統領.

   I asked three Japanese people who didn’t know each other – the person I was dating, an old friend, and a coworker – why it was written that way, and they all said the same thing: because he’s not Japanese.

   (I asked all of them in the same way – as if they were the first person I was asking, because I didn’t want to lead them towards any answer.)

   Three people doesn’t make for a scientific study, and it’s possible that because he ended up resigning his presidency it was an intentional way of other-izing him, and this was 22 years ago, so things may have changed.

   And while I think Japan emphasizes the “us” and “them” a little more strongly than other places, I think most places around the world do this. I’m 4th generation German, and I’m not treated as German when I visit Germany – I’m treated as a foreigner, which I am. We talk about different cultures and races here, frequently not in the best light, but we also talk about people from “that state” or “this part of town” or “<insert sports team here> fans.” What I mean in a very rambling, incoherent way, is that we all kind of separate ourselves between “us” and “them” all the time, and Japanese may not see you as Japanese, and they might not apply kanji to your name.

   I grew up in an area in California with, I believe, has the second largest population of Japanese Americans in the US, and ended up working in Japan with a couple of friends of mine. I remember helping two of them
   open bank accounts when they arrived, and both of their inkans were in katakana. They mentioned how they were *somewhat* expected to behave like Japanese while still getting the negative side of being treated as a foreigner. Not all bad, just a bit of different standards than a person of non-Japanese heritage would be held to. They said they frequently thought they were caught in the middle of being considered Japanese and foreigner. (And this is not my experience, only what my close friends told me, so I certainly don’t want to “claim” their experiences, just sharing what they shared with me.)

   In the end, except for legal documents, you should write it the way you want to write it. I believe many will respond with kindness and write your name the way you want – possibly not instinctively, but with gentle guidance.

8. hi. you sound like me a few years ago. so i’m gonna put some effort into this answer.

   You’re not a Japanese citizen so you write your name in katakana. all of it.

   I’m also of japanese decent. i know you want to be like “hey, im japanese too” but the thing is is that if you didnt grow up there, once you actually move there and start living/working there, you’re gonna feel as foreign as any other foreigner. navigating japanese culture (as in Japanese culture in japan, not diaspora japanese culture), even as a nisei american, is freaking difficult.

   feeling like a foreigner there isn’t a bad thing. based on my experience you dont really want japanese people assuming youre japanese. as a foreigner, you can get the “foreigner pass” and be forgiven for all the faux pas you’re gonna commit.

9. Id you can write you name in kanji i think writing it in kanji is the best option for you, if it isn’t possible then katakana is the other choice