honcho > honchas

[Michael T. Wescoat]

A note on naming regulations in Japan:

On Feb 1, 2007, at 7:57 PM, Douglas G. Wilson wrote:

> Japan (like some other countries, e.g., Germany, Sweden, Argentina,
> IIRC)
> has rules about what names can be given to children. I don't know
> whether
> the rules would permit a presumptively female name (e.g., "Youko",
> "Kazuko", "Kumiko") to be given to a boy: probably he would be
> expected to
> have to fight at school, like the boy named Sue in the song.

I was informed (in the nineties, I admit) that Japan's naming
regulations were limited to orthography: Names have to be composed
from an approved list of characters.  These include a generous bunch
of kanji (a significant superset, I believe, of the ministry of
education's "daily use" kanji) and the two Japanese syllabaries
(hiragana & katakana).  The Roman alphabet is not included.
Significantly, there are no limitations on the readings that may be
associated with the kanji.  (The association of readings with kanji
is mind-boggling to the second-language learner; with names, it can
be mind-boggling to the Japanese.  Official forms include a space to
write one's name in kanji and a space to indicate the pronunciation
in the katakana syllabary.)

The nature of Japanese naming regulations became an issue when a
couple attempted to give their son a name that means 'demon,'
employing what I believe were characters from the approved list. A
local functionary refused to accept the relevant paperwork, claiming
that the name was unacceptable.  However, the functionary was
overstepping the authority granted by the letter of the law, and the
situation escalated into a much discussed court case.  I do not know
the outcome of the case, nor do I know it it gave rise to changes in
naming regulations.

Thus, if my recollections are right (and I welcome correction if I am
wrong), one can probably give a boy a name composed of characters
that would typically be pronounced "You-ko" but then arbitrarily
declare its reading to be "Sue."  I'll bet Johnny Cash never even
contemplated that.

Michael T. Wescoat

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