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Japan Know How archive

Tag: transliteration

Your Name in Japanese

Katakana Name Rules, and the Names That Break Them

We tested a rule engine on 61 names with documented Japanese spellings. It scored 77 percent, and the misses were Michael, Thomas, Sean and Charlotte. Here is the autopsy.

Megan Rothwell

Your Name in Japanese

How to Write Your Name in Japanese: The Complete Guide

Which script your name belongs in, how English sounds get remapped, the four adjustments that decide whether a spelling looks natural, and where the rules simply lose to precedent.

Megan Rothwell