Japan cracks down on ‘glittery’ baby names with new pronunciation rule

In a country known for its reverence for tradition and quiet conformity, naming your child after a cartoon electric mouse was bound to raise eyebrows. But for decades now, Japanese parents have taken increasing liberties with baby names. But then, liberty has its limits.

This week, Japan introduced a change to its family registry system: From now on, parents must submit not just the kanji (Chinese-origin characters used in written Japanese) for their child’s name, but also the pronunciation. And if the authorities so deem, they may be asked to pick another, more conventional, name for their child.

The target of this new rule? “Come on” names — literally “shiny” or “glittery” monikers, that have become the naming equivalent of neon signs. They’re creative, audacious, and often baffling to everyone outside the immediate family. Think Pikachu, Daiya (diamond), Naiki (Nike), Pū (as in Winnie-the-Pooh), and even Akuma, which means “devil.” These names, once rare, have trickled into classrooms and official records since the 1990s.

The new regulation is not a ban on kanji itself. There are still roughly 3,000 characters that parents can legally use, but it does demand clarity and convention in pronunciation. Local authorities now have the right to ask parents to explain their creative phonetic choices and, if they can’t justify them, to pick something more conventional.

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