Watching Kimi ni Todoke 15 reminded me of a very interesting article I read a month ago, about the history and cultural meaning behind Japanese names. In the episode, if you remember, Kurumi asks Kazehaya to call her by her real name (Ume) just once, and is apparently pleased to hear that name spoken by him. At the end, we hear Sawako’s rants on when she did fall in love with Kazehaya, and we learn that it was when he first pronounced her first (real) name.
This made me think: Oh lords, why don’t we have this? If you also remember Ursula K. Le Guin’s books, in her world, all things and creatures had real names, which were held in secret, and gave the person knowing them ultimate control over the given creature/thing. This is practically the same for the Japanese, not in that scale nowadays, yet still. Looking over it, it was the same for us too: our names do have meanings too. The question is how we perceive it. The Japanese care about their names, they are precious to them, they give them power. We in contrary, throw our names around, we don’t even know what one or another name means. There is nothing special about calling someone by their first name. And that seems sort of not right to me.
It is the same for our environment: we burn coal not thinking about consequences, we don’t see them, but then they come. It’s like if you have a big red button, you press on it, and it seems like nothing happens, but in reality, a dangerous mechanism is brought to life. Who knows what will happen if we misuse our real names like this?
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Hmm, that’s quite a good point. Our societies are a lot different from Japan’s. But I think…being respectful about names would not end up working for America. XD
And I just thought about it, but on the internet we do give some more power to our names. At least, some of us do. I know I personally will guard my real name like it’s a precious treasure.
So I guess the internet is, once again, win.
mefloraine´s last blog post: The Meaning of Art
Have to agree there, hehe
My real name’s meaning is “The Judge”, or was it “Just”? Whatever. It basically gives me the right to judge people. And I do it well.
Shion963´s last blog post: Sparta? Madness? No. This. Is. REAAACH
Only gods are given the right to judge. Which means: thou art teh godz. *worships*
None of my names are from my first language: one is Hebrew and the other two Old English. But maybe that just suggests I come from a more cosmopolitan culture?
I’m not sure how the language is relevant to a meaning. Language is basically just a layer above the meaning. If you come as Aiko to England, your name still keeps meaning ‘child of love’.
I wouldn’t say a similar notion is fully non-existent in the West, for instance, in sports or military. Last names are primarily used in these situations, and thinking about it, this is precisely the art of depersonalization and non-intimacy.
Say your coach, peers, etc always calls you by your last name… what is that feeling when they call you by your first name… talk about an awkward moment.
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It’s not just the Japanese. Depending on the culture (therefore, how people are addressed in that culture) and how much knowledge you have on it, your perspective will change greatly because of that. American society, for example, is very different from Japanese society but that doesn’t mean there is such an absence of formality and respect for names that it should be alarming. We are just…less formal, I guess, but that’s how I’m viewing things.
Though I agree that a handful of people in my generation really could care less about their real names which tick me off sometimes. *sigh*
Hmm, while we’re on the topic, it’s hard for me to say (from my own background) what should be considered formal or not. Usually, people would call each other by their full name (not just a last name or a first name alone, but the full name last then first) and it would depend on how their tone of voice is or if they add a suffix to it to really determine if they’re calling you respectfully.
Of course, calling by first name only is the same concept as the Japanese’s in which it is often used with those you are more familiar with. But even so, grandparents and even parents can call their children by their full name.
I know, it’s a little weird and I probably got that all mixed up. Sorry~ <D;
Interesting thought. I don’t know if we should care that much about our names though. My first name “Raffael” for example means “god heals”. I’m quite happy that people here don’t care about a names meaning as I’m an atheist who can’t stand religious bullshit. Couldn’t some people put you in some box even before they meet you the first time, if they care too much about your name?
RyanA is quite right too. There are situation where we call each at by our last name. Eugen and I are both living in German speaking countries. In German we have not only one simple word for “YOU” like in English. We have “DU” and “SIE” both meaning “YOU” but “SIE” is formal.
So we might not care about our names meaning but we sure think about how to address somebody over here.
I know the coal burning was meant as metaphor but: Nuclear power ftw!
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