Overview

• Under a revised law effective May 26, all names in Japan’s family registry must include phonetic readings and only standard kanji pronunciations are permitted.
• Residents nationwide are receiving mailed notifications with a one-year deadline to correct any nonconforming name readings.
• Parents of newborns must now explain their children’s name pronunciations, and unclear cases may be referred to local legal affairs bureaus.
• Authorities cite repeated incidents in schools, hospitals and government offices where unconventional readings caused mispronunciations, confusion and embarrassment.
• The measure follows similar naming regulations in countries like Sweden, Germany and New Zealand that bar names deemed unsuitable or confusing.