NationStates Jolt Archive

I need to know some things about Japanese Culture. Namely, the whole name thing. Like I know that the surname comes before the given name, but I don't know which they use more often, how they use each, and how the titles fit in (like san, kun, or chan).

Could some one leave me a link to a website that would help me? I wont be at the computer for around 2 hours, so I wont be able to reply to anyone, but y'all can just leave me a link.

I'd be forever grateful for any info. Thankx everyone!

Wikipedia might have it.

san is more or less the same as mr or mrs(ms?)
kun is for younger males and also between male friends
chan you use if its a girl that you know well good friends
sama is the same as master

I know I didnt get quiet right might it should be near it.

or read this under custums
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_name

Don't get me started on Japan right now. Their manga monopoly has got me rather irritated.

You generally use the last name unless you are close friends. For example, at work you would call Kudo Akiko by her last name Kudo. You would call her Mz Kudo if you were speaking in English. If you speak Japanese you would generally call her Kudo san, but don't worry if you screw up now and then, they will forgive you, (unless you actually look Japanese, then you're in trouble). Unmarried women might refer to each other by their first names, but they'll add -chan to the end to make it "cuter." The -chan ending is supposed to be for children, but is used amoung friends. So Akiko chan would be Mz Kudo or Kudo san.

There is a lot more complex stuff about proper ways to address people, but you are a foreigner, you can get away with knowing it. I never learnt it. People will admire you for treating everyone as an equal. (Just don't look Japanese, otherwise people will feel insulted when you butcher the language.)

Thankx everyone! All the info will be really helpful.


Colodia & Ecthalon: Wikipedia should be a real help. And thanks for explaining it a little Ecthalon.

Letila: Hey! I like mangas! That's the whole reason I need to know this stuff! And I've always wanted to tell you how much I love that picture in your sig. Very creative!

Phylum Chordata: I'm quite sure I don't look Japanese. Thanks for explaining in-depth. Were did you come up with the name Kudo Akiko? I've been searching for Japanese names, especially Kudo. So it's actually a last name? Finally! I mean I could never figure out if his first name was Kazahaya or Kudo... Now I know! Thankx!

Kudo Akiko was a woman I worked with in Japan. But knowing how bad many foreigners are with Japanese, she just told me to call her Akiko, which I did and which made everything easier. Japanese people are generally very forgiving of mistakes and usually don't roll around on the floor laughing as English speakers sometimes do when a Japanese person calls someone Mr Sally.

Kudo Akiko was a woman I worked with in Japan. But knowing how bad many foreigners are with Japanese, she just told me to call her Akiko, which I did and which made everything easier. Japanese people are generally very forgiving of mistakes and usually don't roll around on the floor laughing as English speakers sometimes do when a Japanese person calls someone Mr Sally.


I know this'll be really horrible of me, but that would be kinda funny. I wouldn't mind Japanese people laughing at me if I made that mistake. I would probably laugh along with them if they told me what I'd said. Although -san means Mr. and Mrs.