Society

Foreign minister to ask media to switch order of Japanese names

May 22 (Kyodo) - Foreign Minister Taro Kono said Tuesday he plans to ask overseas media outlets to write Japanese names with the family name first, as is customary in the Japanese language.

As an example, Kono said that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's name should be written as "Abe Shinzo," in line with other Asian leaders such as Chinese President Xi Jinping and South Korean President Moon Jae In.

Japanese names are usually written with the given name coming first when using a foreign language such as English, a practice that began in the 19th to early 20th centuries amid the growing influence of Western culture.

Now is the right time to make the change, Kono told a press conference, given that the new Reiwa era has just begun and several major events including next month's Group of 20 summit and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics are approaching.

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