Japan sets rules on name readings to curb flashy ‘kirakira names’

Japan sets rules on name readings to curb flashy ‘kirakira names’

by JapanPhishMarket

14 comments
  1. Thank goodness. I’ve not been able to sleep at night due to these kirakira names and their upsetting phonetic readings.

  2. ITT: post the wildest kirakira names you’ve encountered.

    I had a kid in an elementary class when I was a JET named Akuma, with nontypical kanji. Little piece of shit yanki.

  3. an example i saw the news give was, they would not allow your childs name to be spelt as 太郎 (tarou) but read as george

  4. Kirakira names are so pervasive I have never encountered any in person. I’m not saying they don’t exist, but the rhetoric surrounding it is a solution in search of a problem.

    Some kids get names they don’t like or aren’t suited for. What is the actual harm here?

  5. A long time ago, I taught a kid who had a name pronounced “Rizumu” (Rhythm) but I have since forgotten which kanji she used.

  6. One of the wildest and most famous Japanese kirakira name is “princess candy”.
    Can’t imagine living with that name

  7. My friend’s name is 美々安(ビビアン/Vivienne)

    Her lifestyle is as kirakira as her name

  8. FYI, kirakira names are NOT unusual/rare/cringe names. It refers to the kanji not matching the reading of the name. So you could name your kid Ana, but you couldn’t write it as “雪姫” (“yukihime”- snow+princess) to reference frozen.

    That being said, I am thoroughly enjoying the examples in the thread regardless, keep ‘em coming!

  9. My son has a normal name by Japanese and western standards, but the kanji is l probably kirakira by Japanese standards 😅

    Only because my husband didn’t like the normal kanji combinations for his name and meanings. The meaning of his name in kanji translates to “hopeful sky” and I must admit, I do love it. The first kanji trips most people up (it’s a special onyomi reading rarely used) but most people figure out the second kanji easily.

    So while my son’s kanji wouldn’t be considered flashy, it raises a few eyebrows with some people lol.

Leave a Reply