Why do Japanese put family name first?

As is common in East Asian cultures, in Japanese the family name always comes first. Japan first decided to put given names first when talking to foreigners way back in the 1870s, during the Meiji era. It was actually a gesture by nationalist reformers who wanted to keep Western imperialists at bay.

Do Japanese have family names first?

Name order In Japan, like in China and Korea, the first name follows the family name. A person with the first name “Ichiro” and the family name “Suzuki” is, therefore, called “Suzuki Ichiro” rather than “Ichiro Suzuki”.

Why is first name such a big deal in Japan?

Japan is a very formal society. Using someone’s first name is generally limited to parents and relatives, and even then used with an child’s honorific. Former classmates sometimes use first names, or nicknames, and usually omit the honorific. Even the language changes depending on the person you are conversing with.

What is the most common family name in Japan?

Japanese family names are extremely varied: according to estimates, there are over 100,000 different surnames in use today in Japan. Common family names in Japan include Satō (佐藤), Suzuki (鈴木) and Takahashi (高橋) (please refer to the table below).

Why is Japan’s foreign minister asking media to use family names first?

Japan’s foreign minister will ask international media organisations to use the family name first when writing Japanese names – as is customary in the Japanese language – in an attempt to reverse a century of linguistic convention.

How do Japanese people choose their names?

Japanese people have two names, a surname and a given name. The surname is usually inherited from the father, and women usually change their surname to the husband’s upon marriage.

Why are there so few Japanese last names written in kanji?

The new Meiji government made it compulsory for everyone to choose a surname, using only authorised kanji (Chinese characters). Nowadays, there aren’t so many Japanese family names because the number of kanji that legal limitation on the use of kanji.