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How Japanese Baby Names Are Chosen: Sound, Kanji and Stroke Counts
Japanese parents usually choose a baby name by balancing four things: the sound (hibiki), the meaning of the kanji, how the name looks written out, and often the stroke count, checked with a fortune method called seimei handan. The name must use kanji approved for names or kana, and it goes on the birth registration, normally within 14 days.
11 min readOld-Fashioned Japanese Names: -ko, -e, -rō, -bē and Retro Revivals
Old-fashioned Japanese names include women's names ending in -ko (子) or -e (江, 枝), short kana names like Hana or Ume, and men's names ending in -rō (郎), -kichi (吉), -zō (蔵) or the Edo-era -bē (兵衛). Many sound retro today, and some, such as names ending in -nosuke or short classic girls' names, are coming back.
10 min readJapanese Name Endings and Their Meanings: -ko, -ka, -ta, -suke, -to
The last kanji of a Japanese given name, called the tomeji (止め字), carries much of its feel. Girls' names often end in -ko (子, child), -mi (美, beauty), -ka (花, flower; 香, fragrance) or -na (菜, greens), and boys' names in -ta (太, big), -suke (介, helper), -rō (郎, son), -ki (樹, tree) or -to (斗, dipper; 人, person).
11 min readJapanese Cat Names: Tama, Mike, Kuro and the Words for Every Coat
Classic Japanese cat names include Tama (タマ), Mike (ミケ, calico), Kuro (クロ, black), Shiro (シロ, white) and Tora (トラ, tiger, for tabbies). Many cats are simply named after their coat, and Japanese has charming words for coats such as hachiware (tuxedo) and kijitora (brown tabby).
10 min readJapanese Dog Names: Pochi, Hachi, Kotarō and Lucky Names for Shiba
Classic Japanese dog names include Pochi (ポチ), Hachi (ハチ, eight), Kotarō (コタロウ, little Tarō) and Maru (マル, round). Owners of Japanese breeds like the Shiba often pick lucky or old-style names such as Daikichi or Fuku, and Japanese dogs learn commands like osuwari (sit) and ote (paw).
10 min readJapanese Pet Names From Food: Mochi, Kinako, Azuki, Goma and More
Food names are among the most loved pet names in Japan: Mochi (rice cake) for a soft white pet, Kinako (roasted soybean flour) for a light-brown one, Azuki (red bean) for a reddish-brown coat and Goma (sesame) for a speckled one. Owners usually match the food to the coat colour, which makes these names easy to understand.
10 min readHow to Name a Japanese Character in Your Story: Era, Region, Realism
To name a Japanese character, pick a surname and a given name that fit the character's birth year, region and family, then check how the full name sounds and how other characters will address them. A woman born in the 1940s might be Tanaka Kazuko, a boy born in the 2020s Nakamura Minato, and an Okinawan family might be called Higa.
11 min readJapanese Sibling and Twin Names: Shared Kanji, Themes and Pairs
Japanese parents often link siblings' names by sharing one kanji, such as 陽 in Hina (陽菜) and Yōta (陽太), by using the same ending, or by choosing a theme such as the seasons, as in Haruka (春香) and Natsuki (夏希). Twins often get names that form a pair of meanings, like Yui (結, to tie) and Kizuna (絆, bond).
10 min readHatsumode: What to Do and Say on Your First Shrine Visit
Hatsumōde (初詣) is the first visit of the year to a shrine or temple, usually made in the first few days of January. You queue, make a small coin offering, bow, clap at a shrine, pray silently for the year ahead, and often draw a fortune or buy a new charm.
12 min readFukubukuro Lucky Bags in Japan: How They Work and What to Say
Fukubukuro (福袋), lucky bags, are sealed bags of goods that shops sell at New Year, usually for less than the value of what is inside. You buy them at the first sales of the year, often after queueing or winning a lottery, and part of the fun is not knowing exactly what you will get.
10 min readOsouji (Ōsōji): Japan's Year-End Big Clean and the Words for It
Ōsōji (大掃除), the big clean, is the thorough cleaning that Japanese households, offices and schools do at the end of December so they can greet the New Year in a fresh, clean space. People scrub the kitchen fan, wash windows, clear out cupboards and throw away a year's worth of clutter.
10 min readKadomatsu and Shimekazari: Japanese New Year Decorations Explained
Kadomatsu (門松) are pairs of pine and bamboo arrangements placed at the entrance, and shimekazari (しめ飾り) are straw rope decorations hung on the door. Both welcome Toshigami, the god of the new year, and mark the home as clean and ready; they usually go up in late December and come down in early January.
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