What's in a name? Japan bans flashy baby names like Pikachu and Nike

Straits Times

5 days ago

The new rules come under a revised law, which requires names in the Japanese national family registry to include phonetic readings. PHOTO: PIXABAY
What's in a name? Japan bans flashy baby names like Pikachu and Nike
Japan has imposed rules to curb how parents want to pronounce their children's names, targeting a trend of what is known as 'kira-kira' - the Japanese onomatopoeia for 'shiny' or 'sparkly' - names.
'Kira-kira' refers to names that use kanji, or Chinese characters, but are read in ways that would make the names unusual, contradictory or unrelated to the words' meanings . This can include giving traditional names a misleading or foreign-sounding twist.
For example, politician and former Olympian Seiko Hashimoto named her sons Girisha (Greece) and Torino (Turin) - after the locations of the Olympic Games held in the years of their births.
'Kira-kira' names - such as Pikachu and Naiki (Nike) - have been criticised for causing confusion in schools, hospitals and public services, or in some cases, embarrassment for the child.
The new rules imposed on May 26 come under a revised law, which requires all names in Japan's national family registry to include phonetic readings, local media reported this week.
Kanji often have multiple readings, giving parents some flexibility in choosing how to write their children's names. However, only widely accepted readings will be allowed now under the legislation.
As a result, parents will no longer be able to give their children names with readings unrelated to the kanji meaning or standard pronunciation, Kyodo News reported .
However, non-standard readings based on established usage are allowed.
Residents across Japan will be receiving notifications by mail to confirm the phonetic readings of the names in their households, according to NTV News.
Those who require corrections may submit a request within a year of receiving the notification. Parents of newborns may be asked to explain the pronunciations of their children's names, though cases deemed as unclear may be referred to legal affairs bureaus, Kyodo said.
Other countries have also imposed laws to prevent parents from giving their children names that can be deemed inappropriate or embarrassing.
For instance, Sweden has strict guidelines on what parents can name their child.
Under Swedish law, parents much submit the proposed name of their child within three months from birth. It states that the name must not be offensive, cause discomfort to the child, or for some other reason be unsuitable as a first name.
In New Zealand, there are guidelines that ensure that names are not offensive, at a reasonable length and do not unjustifiably resemble an official title or rank. As a result, names such as Justice and Prince are not allowed.
In 2008, a young girl from the country made headlines after it was revealed during a custody hearing that she was named Talula Does the Hula From Hawaii. Her name was later changed.
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