Japan implements new rules to prevent unique baby names like Pikachu or Nike
Japan is changing its rules for baby names, disallowing parents to name their kids like Pikachu or Nike.
Starting Monday, the Japanese government will implement new rules for how children's names, written with Chinese characters (kanji), are pronounced. This will restrict parents from using foreign-sounding pronunciations, mandating that only widely accepted readings of kanji characters will be permitted. However, already commonly used non-standard readings might still be allowed.
This change comes from a new law in Japan that mandates every name in official family records must now include its pronunciation. This is essential because, in the Japanese language, each kanji character can have numerous pronunciations.
When it comes to names, parents often focus on how the name sounds and then select kanji characters that seem to match that sound.
However, for decades, there has been a heated discussion about kirakira names. While these "glittery" names—such as Pikachu, Pū (as in Winnie-the-Pooh), and Naiki (Nike)—seem creative and cute, these have led to difficulties for local government offices, hospitals, and schools. They can also lead to social difficulties, including bullying among peers.
To help with this, authorities will send postcards to households showing the current name pronunciations from the registry, and residents will have a year to ask for corrections. For new babies, parents may be asked to explain how they want the name pronounced, and if it's unclear, the case could be sent to a legal office for a decision.
In the Philippines, highly unconventional and unique names have become quite prevalent. For instance, the height of the pandemic saw babies named after COVID-19, with examples including Covid Bryant, Coviduvidapdap, and Covid Rose.
A Filipino baby named Hypertext Mark-up Language Rayo Pascual, or HTML for short, also went viral in 2021. This trend appears to run in the family, as the child's father is named Macaroni 85, while his aunt is named Spaghetti 88. Interestingly, Spaghetti 88's sons are named Cheese Pimiento and Parmesan Cheese.
