What’s in a name? Japanese First Names

名前 なまえ Name (=the reputation you have when you stand before people)

What’s in a name? Names are special to parents and grandparents – sometimes a child is named after a senior member of the family. Sometimes a child is named because of special qualities wished for. Sometimes a name is chosen, because it sounds pleasant and sometimes parents go to great lengths to consult experts on kanji writing, so that the chosen name will reflect good luck. Whatever the chosen name may be, as in any language, it is hoped that the child wears the name with pride. 

The problem with names is that families may choose a particular kanji for their child. Unless one knows, one may not be able to read it straight away  A lot of memorisation will come into it. Name cards, めいし meishi, will also help later on in one’s career. Here are some simple examples.

What’s in a name? 中 なか naka in, inside, within

What’s in a name? This time we have a look at the kanji for in or inside. It is used often in names, showing the location of where the family originally lived within the village, or where their property was in relation to the rest of the village. It could also have been used to show social standing – all sorts of reasons. 

Here are some everyday names that contain the kanji 中 なか naka.  

One can also see it at the end of a name:

Interestingly, the kanji can also be pronounced as ちゅう chū. However, as such it doesn’t happen in Japanese names or surnames. It does appear as such in many Japanese everyday words, just not as part of a name.

Counting interesting people

The Koshino Legend

Hiroko Koshino　ひろこ　こしの

Junko Koshino　じゅんこ　こしの

Michiko Koshino　みちこ　こしの

The family brand name is Koshino, which is written , but this shop and company have decided to “be different” and to use katakana and write it right to left – stand out from the crowd. If you’re famous, you can do almost anything!

コシノ　becomes　ノシコ

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 Here are the creations:

(You’d better have a nice cheque book!)

ノシコ

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A TV promotion programme interviewing 

guests to the exhibition opening: 

“Huh? All the way from New Zealand?”

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The Koshino Exhibition

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Note that the signs above these shops are organised all three in a different way:
The tickets shop on the left is top to bottom, left to right.
The Koshino shop in the middle is right to left.
The shop on the right hand side is left to right: travel wave.

ノシコ

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The Real Koshino

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If you would like to explore some more:

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/cool_japan/AJ201109099792

http://junkokoshino.com/

http://www.elle.com/Runway/Ready-to-Wear/Fall-2010-RTW/HIROKO-KOSHINO/HIROKO-KOSHINO#mode=base;slide=0;

ノシコ

101 Greetings farewells at home

The Japanese have special greetings for special occasions. Some of these expressions are only used by certain occasions, while others are only used by certain people. For instance, the Japanese have one special expression for when a member of the family leaves for the day from home and similarly when that person returns home. 

These expressions are not used in any other place. They are only used for members of “the clan” – the family, when they habitually leave or return. Members of the family never greet each other with:

こんにちは  konnichiwa

It is only for strangers/visitors

These expressions Japanese people use for their own family:

When you come back home, you say:

When you come back home, someone else at home says:

When you leave, you say:

When you leave, someone else says:

Easy!

When you formally welcome special visitors, you say:

or

When you farewell visitors you say:

And these friends may communicate with a sniff …

Japanese ‘MON’ family crest on formal kimono

Altaic Languages and People, Altai

Altai Mountains

Scholars will no doubt discuss this for many PhD’s to come, but what is certain is that the link between the three peoples is close: they’re family one way or another. Whichever way one looks at it, they seem fascinating to the greater world; they represent everything that is beautiful, elegant, cultured and sincere. Aren’t we privileged to be able to visit them all? Indeed we are.

Korean Family

Turkish Family

Japanese Family

When Japanese people speak about the Japanese language as their own native language they learn, it is called 国語 こくご kokugo, not 日本語 にほんご nihongo. 日本語 にほんご nihongo implies “Japanese for foreigners”.

Talking about someone else’s family

Here is a summary of all the useful family words

Self-introduction 自己紹介 じこしょうかい

はじめまして

(Hajimemashite = Pleased to meet you)

This is the phrase to introduce yourself:  はじめまして

(Hajimemashite   =   Pleased to meet you)

Here are some 40 sentences that you could use to introduce yourself and your family. Of course, you wouldn’t use them all, because people would think you are confused. Choose those ones that apply to you. The first four groups have the Japanese in roman letters for pronunciation sake. The next four have it in Japanese script.

How sweet! A proud family

はじめまして

Can you introduce yourself and your family?

Watashi no ie wa gonin kazoku

There are five family members in my house

Before you begin, just a note of explanation: the people in the photos are people who are not really family, but they share the same goal, the same values: GREEN! They teach the children to make the world a cleaner place and tidy up all over the world. 

That is kind of nice, when people all over the world care and share – the family of mankind. Beautiful, don’t you think? In this section, we use English and roomaji script for beginners:

recycle! well done!

the big family

well done!

impressive!

These are the same sentences, but this time we use the Japanese script:

What a great family!

In London they speak Japanese and in London they learn Japanese and they are also clean and green! Yeah!

Great hairdo’s – they’re a statement!

Well done, Mum!
よくできました！
yoku dekimashita!

Animals どうぶつ

Here are pictures and names for animals around us. Some of them we keep as pets, others we fear when we see them in our parks or at the beach.

What may surprise some people is that some animals that we see in the zoo, are actually found in the fields in Japan. Of course, some animals are never seen in Japanese cities or towns, but they are still alive in the mountains in Japan and many people would be interested in them. 

Other animals we have in Australia or New Zealand, but are very rare in Japan, or maybe only found in some zoos.

Enjoy! 

(The animals are in English alphabetical order)