My name in kanji

[MMM]

Originally Posted by lself

I did read it actually. I realize in japanese katakana is best etc. However, foreigners have to have their names in Chinese kanji right? Because there is no katakana in chinese. I realize katakana is the best way, etc. but it does not look as good, as i said above.

I was a foreigner registered in Japan and my name was written in katakana. same as on my bank account and tax forms. It is possible for a foreigner living in Japan to be officially registered with Japanese kanji, but this is a small part of the foreign population (if I understand correctly) and as a student and speaker of Japanese for about 20 years I can't imagine having a kanji name. Even my hanko was in katakana. The kanji that can be used for your name have limitations, so just getting the name in Chinese will mean you will have your name in Chinese on your arm, but not necessarily in Japanese. The safest and most universal way to have your foreign name in Japanese tattooed to you is in katakana.

To make a name in kanji is just that: making a name in kanji. There is no kanji for the name "Derrick" (or any Western name) so to make one is risky and the chances of a Japanese person reading it as your name are pretty slim.

[minminRW]

lself
For your convenience,

power:力(chikara,riki,ryoku),能力(nou-ryoku),権力(ken-ryoku)
tribe:部族(bu-zoku),一族(ichi-zoku),集団(shuu-dan),仲間(naka-ma)
correspondent kanji:力(riki/power),勁(kei/power),勢(sei/momentum),能(nou/ability)
族(zoku/tribe,family),団(dan/group),連(ren/federation),会(kai/party,meeting),党(tou/party)

"Derick" in Chinese language(not Japanese on-yomi)
德里克
derick in Chinese, derick translation by Nciku Chinese Dictionary
德里克·罗斯 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书

I dont recommend using kanji in tatoo.
It does not look cool from eyes of Japanese people.

[KyleGoetz]

MMM, in the post you quoted, lself was talking about using kanji (hanzi) in Chinese for one's name, not in Japanese.

[lself]

Thank you for your help:P

[MMM]

Originally Posted by KyleGoetz

MMM, in the post you quoted, lself was talking about using kanji (hanzi) in Chinese for one's name, not in Japanese.

I am not sure what you are getting at. Chinese is not Japanese.

[KyleGoetz]

Of course, but the guy asked about getting a kanji name and recently used justification of why it's not an idiotic idea that non-Chinese have kanji names in Chinese (forgive me for using "kanji" rather than "hanzi" here, but I suspect most people here would not know the meaning of the latter).

You directly responded by saying "when I was in Japan . . . ." I was merely trying to point out that he started talking about China, so a katakana name became irrelevant, assuming he decided to get a Chinese tattoo and not a Japanese tattoo.

At least, that's how I read it. Granted, I haven't been real involved in this thread recently (and I wrote the comment under pressure to finish my scholarly article after graduation), so I could have made a mistake.

[MMM]

I just wanted it to be clear that American names written in Chinese will not translate into Japanese.