We've listed our five most read stories on The Mainichi news site, from top to bottom, that were published between June 28 ...

“If politicians claim to be conservative, they should be working to preserve rare and unique Japanese names,” says Kono Taro, a reform-minded member of the LDP.

Nearly 80% of researchers in the field of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) who have legally changed their last names a ...

The Japanese government is cracking down on unique children’s names – here’s what it means Government bans unconventional kanji pronunciations to dissuade parents from giving children quirky ...

A movement to change the rules around surnames has been brewing, led by women’s rights advocates and those trying to preserve the diversity of Japanese surnames in a nation where a handful of ...

If you go to Japan, there’s a chance you might meet someone with an unusual name – such as “Nike,” “Pikachu” or “Pudding.” While still a minority, these names have grown in popularity over recent ...

Japan has introduced new rules to regulate how children’s names written in Chinese characters, kanji, are pronounced. Kanji is one of the three core writing systems in Japanese, alongside hiragana and ...

A 2023 New York Times article reported that Japanese children with unconventional names often faced social and practical challenges unique to their country and its written language.

Where to find the best and most unique sushi in Los Angeles, from temaki to omakase.