News On Japan

Japan grapples with putting family or given name first ahead of 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Jul 29 (Japan Times) - With around a year to go until the start of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, the age-old question of whether to put family or given name first when writing Japanese names in English has started to garner attention.

The issue was recently put into the spotlight by Foreign Minister Taro Kono, who suggested in May that major foreign media organizations should write the name of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as “Abe Shinzo,” with the family name coming first.

But the proposed change prompted strong push-back by those who claimed that the reversal of long-standing customs would cause confusion. Even Abe’s own Cabinet members were divided over the proposal, with Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga saying that his given name should come first in English.

When Japanese names are written in Japanese, the family name customarily comes first, followed by the given name. But when rendered in Roman script, they are written in the opposite order, in line with Western tradition.

According to professor Yasuyuki Shimizu, who specializes in Japanese language studies at Japan Women’s University, the earliest public records of Japanese names in English script were written with the family name preceding the given name.

When the Tokugawa shogunate, rulers of nation during the Edo Period (1603-1868), concluded the Treaty of Peace and Amity with the United States, the first treaty between the two countries, in 1854, the Japanese interpreter signed the treaty in English with the family name first.

But English-language magazines published in Japan started to put given names first for Japanese names from the 1880s, and the style was popularized in the 1890s.

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

From April 1st, a new regulation took effect across Osaka Prefecture requiring all restaurants with a customer seating area larger than 30 square meters to become entirely smoke-free indoors—unless they install a designated smoking room. Establishments violating the rule face fines of up to 50,000 yen, while customers may be fined up to 30,000 yen.

The Imperial Household Agency launched an official YouTube channel on April 1st to introduce the activities of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako.

Japan's new fiscal year began on April 1st, with companies across the country holding entrance ceremonies to welcome new employees.

The Japanese government has released an updated damage forecast for a potential Nankai Trough megaquake, estimating that up to 298,000 people could die in the worst-case scenario. This projection reflects a slight reduction from the previous estimate of 332,000 deaths made 13 years ago.

The Japan Meteorological Agency announced on March 30th that cherry blossoms (Somei-Yoshino) in central Tokyo have reached full bloom, one day earlier than the historical average and five days earlier than last year.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Society NEWS

A special unit dedicated to investigating "lone offenders"—individuals who commit acts of terrorism without belonging to any specific organization—has been established for the first time in Japan within the Public Security Bureau of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.

Downtown, the popular comedy duo, has stepped down as official ambassadors for the Osaka-Kansai Expo, according to an announcement by the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition.

A tour bus carrying over 20 foreign tourists collided with a van inside the Tokiwa Tunnel on the Dōō Expressway on March 31st, sending several people to the hospital.

In August 1990, two men hiking in the Scottish Highlands captured a striking photo of a silent, diamond-shaped object hovering in the sky—later dubbed "the greatest UFO photo ever taken." A Harrier jet was seen circling the object before it suddenly shot straight up and vanished. (Abroad in Japan)

The Fukuoka Prefectural Police will introduce a new recruitment track for working adults starting next fiscal year, easing both age and physical fitness requirements as part of broader efforts to combat a worsening manpower shortage.

Children on spring break took part in a zazen meditation session at Toshoji Temple in Kiho, Mie Prefecture, on March 28th to help reset their daily routines.

A growing number of women in Japan are choosing men’s-style suits for both comfort and practicality, reflecting a broader shift toward genderless fashion. From school uniforms to police attire, traditional dress codes are evolving as functionality and diversity take center stage in work and daily life.

A temporary barrier has been installed under the iconic Glico sign in Osaka's bustling Minami district, commonly referred to as "Guri-shita," to prevent people from sitting and loitering in the area.