Japan Restricts Anime-Inspired Baby Names

The trend of anime-inspired baby names in Japan has come under scrutiny following a major revision to the Japanese Civil Registration Law in May 2025. The reform requires all registered names to include furigana (phonetic reading) and imposes limits on readings considered socially unacceptable.

Japan Restricts Anime-Inspired Baby Names

According to the Ministry of Justice, the law aims to ensure the “social validity of name readings.” Names whose furigana deviates excessively from the kanji meaning or are deemed contrary to public order and morals may be rejected by local authorities.

Previously, even with restrictions on the use of standard kanji, there were no clear rules for readings. This allowed extreme names such as 黄熊 (“Pū” referencing Winnie the Pooh) or 光宙 (“Pikachū”) to be registered. Some parents also chose names based on characters from popular manga and anime.

A parent interviewed reported that her daughter and son-in-law named their child after a Demon Slayer character. The chosen name was “Daki” (堕姫), which surprised the family:

“When they said they wanted an anime character’s name, I didn’t expect it to be so extreme. I was shocked when I heard the name. They seem very emotionally attached to the series, but I worry about the child’s future. Now they plan to use character names for twins, and it concerns me greatly.”

Experts emphasize that a child’s name is lifelong, so parents should choose carefully, balancing creativity and social acceptance.

What the New Law Means

With the new regulation, anime-inspired names with extreme or unusual readings may no longer be accepted in official registration. However, more conventional or adapted names are likely to continue, given the strong influence of pop culture in Japan.

via Yahoo News