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The 11 Most Beautiful Japanese Names

Writing with brush and ink
Writing with brush and ink | © Niketh Velllanki/Unsplash

A single Japanese name can be written in so many different ways to produce the desired meaning and pronunciation, and some don’t even use kanji at all. Discover some of the most beautiful Japanese names and their meanings.

Akari | 丹李

Akari is a girl’s name. With these kanji, its meaning is “red plum.” There are other ways to write it, and it could even be spelled phonetically with hiragana or katakana.

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Junya | 純也

Junya, a name for boys, combines the kanji for “purity” with ya, a character often used for phonetic purposes in given names.

Saeko | 紗子

Saeko includes the kanji for “gossamer,” and the diminutive suffix -ko, which is commonly seen with feminine names.

Itsuki | 一喜

Itsuki is a name for boys. With these characters, it means “first joy” or “one happiness.” Written differently, it’s also a surname.

Sora | 天

Sora is a given name for both males and females. Its meaning is “sky.”

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Hana | 初夏

Hana is a female given name. Written this way, it means “early summer.”

Kaito | 海人

This Japanese name for boys combines the kanji for “ocean” and “person,” but there are countless other ways to write the name.

Sayo | 沙世

Sayo is a simple and pretty feminine given name. It combines the kanji for “sand” and “world.”

Takashi | 隆

Takashi is a masculine name that has been around for a long time. Spelt with this kanji, it means “prosperity,” but there are many other combinations. Takashi can also be written in kana.

Chiha | 千羽

Chiha is a name for girls. In this case, the meaning is “a thousand wings.”

Sakura | 桜

Like the pink and white blossoms that are its namesake, Sakura is a beautiful Japanese female given name. The name can be spelled with kanji, hiragana, or even katakana.

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About the author

Alicia is a freelance travel and culture writer living in Tokyo. Find her at thetokyogirl.com

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