July 27, 2004
Meet my son "Buttocks" and my daughter "Prostitute".
Japanese Diet allows the adaptation of new kanji for names. The sky's not the limit though: "rape" and "cancer" are still verboten.
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578 new or revived characters seems an awful lot. I know nothing about Kanji - would younger people know what half of the new ones were supposed to mean, anyway?
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578 new or revived characters seems an awful lot. I know nothing about Kanji - would younger people know what half of the new ones were supposed to mean, anyway? The Japanese government keeps a list of approved kanji for use in given names, and this story is just about adding currently existing non-name kanji to the list. In other words, these are not "new kanji" so much as they are "kanji that people are allowed to use in names now". Everyone will already know what they mean. The "Buttocks" thing is pretty funny, but the most-requested new name kanji have more ordinary meanings like "Strawberry", "Distant", "Gleam", and "Eagle". This Wiki page has some more info on the Name Kanji, including a paragraph or two about the plan to expand them.
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...my son "Buttocks" and my daughter "Prostitute" Wot's in a name? A rose not lost to shame When called One or t'other Would blush and Scurry home to mother. (Who's doubtless half to blame).
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Oh sure, just when I decide to name my kid Vagina Cancer Reed, the Japanese have to steal my thunder...