Re: CHAT: ¡Viva el Kou! (was: Re: CHAT: Dutch dictionary

John queries:

>Are Chinese people in Japan officially known by their Chinese names?
If they're just Chinese folks boppin' around Japan, yes (albeit in
"onyomi" readings). *All* those who become naturalized Japanese
citizens, however, must take on an official Japanese surname, which,
I think - I'm not sure, is assigned by the bureaucrats you're dealing
with. (Hence, I might become Douglas Ishibara.) (There may be
grandfather clauses attached, 'cause I think Korean Japanese still
retain their Korean style names. Strictly a guess - I'm not a
Japanese law expert).

>(I.e. did you get the katakana because you are a round-eye?)
You got that right.

>What if the name character is a character not normally used in Japanese?
Strictly speaking, all characters are eligible for use in Japan, even
if they're not part of that "toohyoobyoomyoojyoohoochoo" list of 1850
characters. So I would imagine, if you were, again, just a Chinese in
Japan on some sort of visa, someone might have to run to the whammy
dictionary to find the "onyomi" reading, but that would be used
(perhaps with furigana alongside if it's *that* obscure (like "Kou")).

>It's normal for people to have a "real name" that the system tracks along
>with your email address.  Depending on the system, the "real name" may contain
>other cruft, up to and including (at U.C. Berkeley) one's building and
>office number.
Ah.

Kou

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