(For those of who don't know what DQN names are, here is a brief reference on that. http://travel.cnn.com/tokyo/none/joy-and-pain-dqn-names-674680)
1. Traditional names are not
preferred much, such as:
Boys: 太郎 (Taro), 次郎 (Jiro), 武 (Takeshi), 正和 (Masakazu), 幸雄 (Yukio)Girls: 花子 (Hanako), 良子 (Yoshiko), 美智子 (Michiko), 康子 (Yasuko), 真理子 (Mariko)
2. Names taken after anime
characters have become more popular, such as:
Boys: 天空 (Rapyuta), 織賀 (Olga), くれあ
(Clair), 騎士 (Knight)Girls: 莉音 (Lyon), 瑠南 (Lunar)
天空
normally reads "Ten-kuu" and is translated as "sky". For
some reason, this will be pronounced "Rapyuta" because there is a
movie titled "Rapyuta - Castle in the Sky". Rapyuta, by the way, is the name of the main character in the movie, and the name doesn't associate with "The Sky" (天空, Tenkuu) except appearing in the title. This is almost like pronouncing "World" as "Garp" after having been inspired by the movie (novel) "World According to Garp."
Or it might be similar to write
"Michael" and let you pronounce it "Moonwalk."
After having written this far, I
have just come up with "Moonlight Graham" in the movie "The
Field of Dreams."
It seems like Japanese attempt to make nicknames be the legal names to their babies. Imagine many of the kids in schools have "Moonlight Graham" kind of names. That's what's happening.
About 莉音 (Lyon), I sometimes heard Japanese moms calling their daughter's names at a restaurant. They were yelling out, "Lyon! Lyon! Hurry up! Somebody else will get the seat over there!" This name seems kind of popular to be a girl's name.
Also, there was a boy classmate
named "Clair" in my daughter's old elementary school in Japan.
Olga is a Russian name for girls and Lyon a French name for boys, but in Japan they will be opposite. Olga would much more likely be a boy's name out there, and Lyon should be a name for girls.
3. Some are not originally human names,
such as:
Boys: Koshien 甲子園 (a ball park's name)
4. Some names don’t sound so bad but
are spelled misguidedly in Kanji, such as:
Boys: 夢叶 (pronounced
"You-toe")Girls: 駈姒 (Kumi)
5. Some parents get the idea of
using complicated Kanji, such as:
Boys: 煌凄 (Kousei),
露魅央 (Romeo)Girls: 圭遼 (Keito, Kate), 栞緒 (Kanon)
For 煌凄,
the Kanji 煌 has never been included in the
Kanji required to learn in schools.
Let me get back to the Kanji above.
About 圭遼 (Keito), most Japanese most likely read it "Kei Ryoh." Nobody would be able to read that name correctly.
With the school curriculums, the
Kanji "遼" has NOT been taught to read "Ryoh."
This parents used "遼" and read "To" because it might have been listed on some dictionary or encyclopedia. - One of the features of Kanji is that many are read multiple ways, so parents are able to find a cool Kanji that will be fitting with the sound they like.
This parents used "遼" and read "To" because it might have been listed on some dictionary or encyclopedia. - One of the features of Kanji is that many are read multiple ways, so parents are able to find a cool Kanji that will be fitting with the sound they like.
6. Names sounding cute or cool (which
might be meant) such as:
Boys: 吐夢 (Cosmo)Girls: 苺 (Ichigo, meaning "strawberry"), 春愛人 (It is read "Heart" but the Kanji laterally means the "lover in spring"), 兎鈴魅 ("Do-Le-Mi" as in musical notes)
With Cosmo, 吐 means "vomit" and 夢
"dream". 吐 normally is not read
"Cos" (or Kosu), and 夢 will not
be read "Mo".
7. Bad names:
There was a public dispute in Japan
when some parents named their new-born baby "悪魔” (which reads "Akuma" meaning Devil).
The name was turned down at the
official facility but the parents insisted that it has to be accepted despite
the fact that it seems not good on the appearance.
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It is true however that many people don't like these parents naming their kids like that. They say that it looks so crazy and stupid. Many of those misguided names which cannot be read at the glance of them are said to be originated from uneducated, delinquent parents. Typically they take "misguided inspirations" by using wrong or improper (even immoral or ominous) Kanji for their babies.
But here is the truth. Seemingly misguided names are as old as history. If you go back a little bit to the past, there are even some famous or historical people who have this sort of name, or named their kids just like the parents I have introduced so far.
1. Take an example of Reona Esaki (江崎玲於奈, 1925- ), a Japanese physicist who
shared the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1973.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_Esaki
His first name reminds me of
"Leona," an English name for girls. And his Kanji cannot be read at
the first glance. It looks just like the name of these days.
2. Ogai Mori (森鴎外, 1862-1922), a Japanese Army Surgeon, translator, novelist
and poet named their sons 於菟 (Otto)
and 不律
(Fritz). His wife was Japanese who was born, lived, and died in Japan. The Kanji
used for these kids are not common to be person's names.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mori_%C5%8Cgai
3. Nobunaga Oda (織田 信長, 1534–1582), the initiator of the unification
of Japan under the shogunate in the late 16th century, named his children 大洞 (Oh-borah) and 小洞 (Coe-borah), which sound like “big lies”
and “small lies” when you hear it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobunaga
I will not mention if I like it or
not. That is not my intention here. I just want to inspect what is going on,
why this is happening, what that really means, and what the perspectives are.
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The reason for all this (the baby
names issue), I assume, is just because every one of those parents want (or
want their kids) to be different from others. Japan is a group-oriented
culture, where you can't stand out and act (or think) differently. You have to
hide and be like everyone else. Otherwise, you will be hammered down and won't
be able to join the group. Being out of group means you are outcast and even
considered "wrong". Decisions in the group tend to be more powerful and
influential than the laws in their culture, which I guess is a big difference
from the one in the West.
When you think about it, if you
officially have a different stuff (such as names), you will automatically have
a chance to be treated or looked differently. You don't have to try standing
out by yourself. Anyone has a tendency to be different or special. You want to
be the center of something, and don't want to be part of the sand in the beach.
What would you have to do in order to come up with a solution? - That is the
answer I have for the naming preferences in such an environment. - Like it or
not, being "Passive-aggressive" can be the way to go. And this has
always been true throughout their history. It is generically different from
seeking "American Dreams" but they love watching the Hollywood movies
or soap operas. They will get fascinated when Lady Gaga visits Japan. Some love
to sing Beyoncé's songs at a
karaoke place.
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I don't think Japan is a special
case. There is nothing unique about it. (They want to think they are more
unique and more different than the uniqueness of all the others, though.) I
imagine a similar tendency can be observed in other countries. Of course, they
don't have to use Kanji or anything to their babies. It wouldn't be just about
your babies.
Interesting thing here is their
preference has long been directed to America. It is even true now today. Many
people want to mention their culture has been "Americanized" in many
ways.
However, being
"Americanized" does not mean to be "American." - That's the
point.
When using the website or software,
I come up with a pop up which lets me do my environment settings. I prefer selecting
"International" or "Global" rather than "English
(US)". - Whatever you choose out of it, it's English anyway. (I don't
select "Japanese," by the way.)
Even more people or countries, I
assume, will be "Americanized" in their own way using English. I have
a friend from Indonesia who speaks fluent English. He has never lived in the
U.S. or anything except a couple of weeks. He is currently working in Japan as
a system engineer and his work environment is 100% Japanese. I made friends
with him out there. We would have some talks over lunch.
I am kind of anticipating what the
globalization trend may bring about. We all use English, but it's not American
or British. I think it's an interesting picture. If you focus on the positive
side, it could be more fun and exciting. It reminds me of connecting the
foreign pieces and American stuff together by using English. - Hope this
cultural perspective will help you think differently.
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[Additional Note:] The YouTube video I have put up on top seems very silly but I find it is meaningful in many ways. The Japanese in general have inferiority complex toward their English accent. That is why that short drama came out. I also notice the teacher touches or points at one of the student's body. This mat be seen quite commonly in Japanese schools, which people of the Western culture may feel uncomfortable. The teacher even exaggeratedly coughs, clears his throat, and spits out. In the end they all say, "Oh, my God." They perceive these words differently than how English speaking people do. I have seen kids in Japan who go up to a foreigner and stick up the middle finger to say, "Fakku yuu! Hahaha!" and run away. They don't really know what they are doing. They know it's not good to say to someone else, but they think it may sound "funny" to foreigners. This is seemingly rude and nasty but they do that only because they want to break the ice and overcome with their shyness. (Of course, this still is not a pleasant experience to face.)
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[Additional Note:] The YouTube video I have put up on top seems very silly but I find it is meaningful in many ways. The Japanese in general have inferiority complex toward their English accent. That is why that short drama came out. I also notice the teacher touches or points at one of the student's body. This mat be seen quite commonly in Japanese schools, which people of the Western culture may feel uncomfortable. The teacher even exaggeratedly coughs, clears his throat, and spits out. In the end they all say, "Oh, my God." They perceive these words differently than how English speaking people do. I have seen kids in Japan who go up to a foreigner and stick up the middle finger to say, "Fakku yuu! Hahaha!" and run away. They don't really know what they are doing. They know it's not good to say to someone else, but they think it may sound "funny" to foreigners. This is seemingly rude and nasty but they do that only because they want to break the ice and overcome with their shyness. (Of course, this still is not a pleasant experience to face.)
