FOREIGN NAMES IN JAPAN

How to Enter a Foreign Name on Japanese Forms

A field-by-field guide to entering a foreign name in Japanese forms, including 姓, 名, セイ, メイ, フリガナ, middle names, spacing, and character width.

Reviewed August 18, 2026 · 7 min read

Open the toolJapanese Name Converter

SHORT ANSWER

What to do

First match the field label: 姓 / セイ is the family name and 名 / メイ is the given name. Use the document spelling requested by the service for Latin-letter fields, and the same registered full-width Katakana reading for カナ fields.

WORKED EXAMPLE

See the rule in practice

LATIN NAMEDavid Smith

KATAKANA READINGデイビッド・スミス

1. Match each Japanese name field

Read the label before deciding the order. Japanese layouts commonly place family name first, but the label is the reliable instruction.

FIELDMEANINGEXAMPLE

姓Family nameSMITH

名Given nameDAVID

セイFamily-name readingスミス

メイGiven-name readingデイビッド

ローマ字氏名Name in Latin lettersDAVID SMITH

2. Match the authoritative spelling

The form may tell you to copy a passport, residence card, student record, or existing customer registration. Match that source exactly, including name order and middle names. For an account update, the spelling already on that account is usually more useful than a newly generated transliteration.

Do not add a nickname or translate a surname. If the requested document does not show Katakana, use the reading you consistently use in Japan and keep a note of it for later registrations.

3. Place middle names and separators carefully

If the form has a separate middle-name field, use it. If it does not, inspect its example or help text to see whether the middle name belongs with the given name. Some services require every passport name; others impose a length limit or specify a different arrangement.

Spaces, the middle dot ・, and hyphens are characters that validators may treat differently. Follow the example beside the field and never silently omit a legal name merely to make validation pass.

4. Follow the script and width instruction

全角カタカナ means standard full-width Katakana such as デイビッド. 全角英字 means full-width Latin letters such as ＤＡＶＩＤ. 半角英字 normally means ordinary keyboard letters such as DAVID.

A field labelled ふりがな in Hiragana may expect Hiragana, while フリガナ or カナ usually signals Katakana. Copy the exact label into the Form Field Decoder when the intended script is unclear.

5. Avoid common foreign-name mistakes

Putting the family name in 名 or the given name in 姓.
Using a Latin spelling or name order that differs from the document named by the form.
Changing Katakana that is already registered with the service.
Handling middle names, spaces, dots, or hyphens differently from the service’s instructions.
Letting autofill change the script, punctuation, or character width.

Frequently asked questions

Do I write my family name first in Japanese?

Many Japanese forms present family-name fields before given-name fields. Follow the labels 姓 and 名 rather than assuming an order from the page layout.

What if my name has a middle name?

Use the identity document or existing account the service asks you to match. If there is no middle-name field, follow that service’s instructions rather than silently dropping it.

Should フリガナ contain a space or ・?

Requirements vary. Start with the separator accepted by the form’s example, and remove it if the validation message says spaces or unsupported characters are present.

What if a converter gives a different Katakana spelling?

Treat generated Katakana as an editable starting point. If a bank, employer, school, or other Japanese record already has a reading for your name, match that registered spelling.