Changing name to Japanese?

[LaiJH]

I'm a singaporean chinese and i'm thinking about legally changing my name for auspicious reason but to a japanese name. Will you despise someone from another race taking up a name from your race? Will there be any negative things to take note of?

I've posted in other forums and they said it's up to each individual but people may be see you as a poser.

[steel]

Originally Posted by LaiJH

I'm a singaporean chinese and i'm thinking about legally changing my name for auspicious reason but to a japanese name. Will you despise someone from another race taking up a name from your race? Will there be any negative things to take note of?

I've posted in other forums and they said it's up to each individual but people may be see you as a poser.

It would help to understand a few more fact about you. For example, do you live and work in Japan?

There are many ethnic Chinese who have legal Japanese names. In many cases, they are simply Japanese-version of their Chinese names. "Lim" becomes "Hayashi", for example. In this case, it's more a decision of convenience.

Then you have ethnic Koreans who adopt legal names to 'pass' as Japanese -- sometimes called 'pass names' Often there is some common kanji character ... so for every "Kim", you get an assortment of Kanemoto, Kaneda, Kanezawa, Kanemaru etc...

And, then you get the 'others'. For example, a white guy named Ron Stegemann who used to live in Japan, was able to use a registered legal alias of 橋守岩人 (Hashimori Iwato). However, he caught the ire of a David Aldwinckle who called him all sorts of names ... accusing of him being a fake, a fraud, a loser ("just another fucking English teacher") along with the unkind nickname "Hashimoron". He even called his workplace in an attempt to harass and embarrass him:

www.debito.org Easter Egg: Hashimori Humbug
www.debito.org Easter Egg: Hashimori Humbug

Several years later, David would naturalize as a Japanese citizen, ditch his old name and US passport and take up a new legal Japanese name ... 有道 出人 (Arudō Debito). However, he will argue that he is - and never ever has been - a hypocrite.

Curious.

If you do live in Japan, and you don't wish to go through the process of legally changing your name (starting with your home country) but simply wish to use a legal alias in everyday life like Hashimori Iwato, then all you need to do is simply show the people at the ward office proof that you are actively using this name in public by showing them copies of correspondence. This could include letters from your employer, your colleagues, or get a paralegal to send you a letter addressed to you in the Japanese name of your choosing.

If you've been here for a while and wish to naturalize as a Japanese citizen, then go to this site: Becoming legally Japanese: Questions

[JohnBraden]

It would appear rather odd to me....

[LaiJH]

How do you pronounce a surname 赖 in japanese?

[Ronin4hire]

Originally Posted by LaiJH

How do you pronounce a surname 赖 in japanese?

My dictionary doesn't recognise it.

Perhaps it's one of those Chinese only Kanji?

Also Japanese tend to have two or more characters for their name if I remember correctly. Not sure if this is an actual rule or not.. but all Japanese people I know are like this.

[LaiJH]

btw it means rely, depend on, accuse falsely in chinese.

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by LaiJH

How do you pronounce a surname 赖 in japanese?

In Japanese, it is written as 頼 - and is read, when presented alone as a name, as Rai.
It only really shows up alone as a name of Chinese origin though. There are plenty of names that use it with another character that are more Japanese. It`s usually read in those names as "Yori" (Like in　頼本 or 頼定) - but also occasionally as Rai when in a multi-character name too.

At least according to my dictionary.

[Sangetsu]

Originally Posted by Ronin4hire

My dictionary doesn't recognise it.

Perhaps it's one of those Chinese only Kanji?

Also Japanese tend to have two or more characters for their name if I remember correctly. Not sure if this is an actual rule or not.. but all Japanese people I know are like this.

It is possible to have a name (first or last) written with a single character, some parents give their children single character names for simplicity sake.

[Ronin4hire]

Originally Posted by Sangetsu

It is possible to have a name (first or last) written with a single character, some parents give their children single character names for simplicity sake.

I see.. I'm aware of the first name thing. I have a friend that has a single character as a first name but didn't know it applied to last name too.

Thanks.

[Ryzorian]

Maybe we are looking at it from the wrong perspective. What do you think of yourself? What name would you represent yourself as? Who do you think you are as a name, What name do you think feels like you?

Consider these questions from your Chinese background, consider the Chinese names you would answer those question's with, then check the corasponding Japanese versions.

Afterall, names convey who you are, and who you are would be the same in any lanquage.