JAPANESE KANJI NAME TRANSLATION &DESIGN

STEP 1: We’ll translate your name in Japanese Katakana

In Japanese, foreign names are normally written using the phonetic katakana script consists of 48characters. It means a suitable Japanese kanji is allocated by the sound of names.

Katakana usage is quite similar to italics in English; specifically, It is used for transcription of foreign language words( e.g. English name ) into Japanese and the writing of loan words (Gairaigo).

Load words are pronounced using Japanese pronunciation rules and Japanese syllables. Therefore, they end up quite different from the original pronunciation. Sometimes, This makes it difficult to recognize the original foreign word. Loan words are normally abbreviated in ways they wouldn’t get abbreviated in their original language.

Examples of Loan Words

• Building - Biru (ビル)
• Apartment - Aparto (アパート)
• Supermarket - Suupa (スーパー)
• Personal Computer -Pasokon(パソコン)
• Diamond - Daiya(ダイヤ)
• American Football - Amefuto(アメフト)
• Anne Hathaway - An Hasawei (アン ハサウエィ)

e.g. Jonny Depp - Joni Deppu (ジョニーデップ)

STEP 2: We’ll allocate Japanese kanji characters

After finding out how to pronounce your name in Japanese and pick suitable Katakana for the sound of your names.We’ll allocate Kanji characters to the Katakana characters.

With Kanji Scripts, there are 2 ways of reading in Japanese. The Kunyomi and the Onyomi. Onyomi(読み), which literally means “sound reading”, is the Chinese reading of kanji. Kunyomi (訓読み, on the other hand, is the Japanese reading of kanji. It’s a reading based on the pronunciation of a native Japanese word. Most kanji have both readings, just like 川 (“Sen” for Onyomi, “Kawa” for Kunyomi).

Loan words (e.g. English names) are usually translated with Onyomi reading, and if the sound of Onyomi reading of a kanji character is the same as the sound of your name, its kanji character is allocated.

In this example, “Jonny depp” which can be divided into the 4 different Japanese sounds like below, "Jo", "Nii", "De", "Ppu" and whatever the kanji which has got the Onyomi reading of each sound is allocated.

NOTE: We are here to help you with Japanese Kanji name translation because there are so many kanji characters that have got exactly the same Onyomi reading. Besides, in Onyomi and Kunyomi, there’re multiple Onyomi and Kunyomi readings for the same kanji. For example, this kanji 柔, the Onyomi can be じゅう (jyu) or にゅう(nyu), the Kunyomi can be やわら (Yawara) or やわ (Yawa).