In response to Dancing Elephants Press Prompt week 51/52
“What is your name?” “My name is Akemi.”
In Japanese, however, the question doesn’t end there. Always there is a second question: “How is your name written?”
The Japanese input method editor I use on my computer lists the following different combinations for a name “Akemi.”
明美, 昭美, 朱美, 暁美, 曙覧, 朱海, 明見, 曙美, 朱実, 明海, 曙海, 朱見…
The list is not exhausted, but is only of examples of how “Akemi” is commonly written.
That’s because there are many Kanji characters with different meanings that are pronounced the same way. Depending upon which Kanji character is used, the meaning of the name is different.
Let’s break down my name… It’s Ake + Mi. The first part has one Kanji character, and the second has another.
Ake 明 … This character means bright.
Mi 美… This character means beautiful.
Yes, my name literally means “bright and beautiful.”
Although my name was not that unusual, whenever I was asked to explain how my name is writen in Kanji characters. I always had to answer with sarcasm. Who would introduce oneself as “I’m bright and beautiful?”
Do I live up to my name? I don’t know. But at least I’m assured that my parents had some kind of expectation of me…