# 元将



## nekoneko

I am trying to figure out this persons name in romaji. Can someone please translate 佐藤元将氏. I believe Sato is the last name. So I need to know the rest. Thanks.


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## Aoyama

Welcome to the forum nekoneko.
Sato (or Satō) is OK for 佐藤, I guess 元将 is "Genshō", could also be "Motomasa". 氏 (shi) means Mr., not part of the name.


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## nekoneko

Thank you Aoyama.


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## sakurasaku

If you are referring to the toy company chairman, it seems to be "Genshō"


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## Aoyama

Which toy company ?
Maybe this guy : http://pub.ne.jp/sofvilife/?entry_id=3805628


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## sakurasaku

This guy in the link below.  He seems to be a maverick toy sculptor who started his own company, Target Earth.

http://rooftop.seesaa.net/article/107408851.html


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## Aoyama

Right. I found that on a different site, but same thing, thanks.


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## nekoneko

sakurasaku said:


> If you are referring to the toy company chairman, it seems to be "Genshō"



Yes, I was referring to Satō who is the owner of Target Earth, but also a sculptor for the company Marmit who manufacturers for Target Earth. I did see his name in the profile on the blog as ゲンショウ as Genshō. But thought that might not have been his actual name since it was written in katakana. Aren't native Japanese names written in hiragana if they don't use kanji?


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## Aoyama

His name is 元将, but the "reading" is unsual (as it often happens in Japanese), so they write here in kanas ... (furiganas).


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## nekoneko

Aoyama said:


> His name is 元将, but the "reading" is unsual (as it often happens in Japanese), so they write here in kanas ... (furiganas).



I understand that. But my question is aren't native Japanese names normally written in hiragana? And if so why was katakana used?


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## Trimple

nekoneko said:


> I understand that. But my question is aren't native Japanese names normally written in hiragana? And if so why was katakana used?



I suppose katakana is used when s/he wants the name to stand out.  

From what I have seen, katakana will be used if:  
1) A name is read differently from the way originally intended 
   Say there is a man named 政則, meant to be read as _Masanori_. He eventually starts to call himself _Seisoku_ which may have started as a nickname given by friends.  In this case, the name would often be written in katakana, probably as an indication that it is not the way the name was originally intended to be read.  

2) A name is a stage name
    Many Japanese pop/rock artists use katakana for their names. Sometimes an abbreviation of real name, sometimes a nickname. 
    Often, a simple replacement of a kanji name which is difficult to read.  
I believe they use katakana because it indicates "coolness" (as it was used mainly to describe foreign-born items and concepts). 
 Hiragana may seem ordinary and somewhat old-fashioned.


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## Aoyama

Use of hiragana or katakana many vary. Trimple is right. There are rules, but these rules are loose. Trimple says that 





> they use katakana because it indicates "coolness" (as it was used mainly to describe foreign-born items and concepts)


 but even if





> Hiragana may seem ordinary and somewhat old-fashioned


 they can be used instead of katakana to give a softer impression (because if katakana may look cool, they also look "official" or "hard"). So you could easily find words like "ういーくえんど","ぼいふれんど" etc.


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## Strutter

People do have a custom of writing Hiragana or Katakana above thier name especially in official papers and such so that no one will never pronounce their name wrongly.

It goes just like this,
やまだ　たろう
山田　　太郎

It's because quite a few Japanese names could be read in more than one way. 将也 could be read as まさや and しょうや. I' say this name is more likely to be read as まさや but still you can't be absolutely sure.

And it's really up to the case in which way, Hiragana or Katakana, you will be requested to fill the form. It's basically given which to write, but even if you don't follow the indication it will never be a problem because it's just for making sure how to read the name correctly and not for anything else.

You could just start off by writing your name directly in Hiragana or Katakana but that way is surely not a favourable way unless it's a casual circumstance. It would just sound so immature.

Cheers,


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## Aoyama

The custom (or required usage rather) to write the "yomikata" of a name is called "furigana", as I mentioned in my post #9.


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## Strutter

And which it is フリガナor ふりがな or something like that tells you which form you are being requsted. It really doesn't matter though.


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## nekoneko

Thank you to everyone for their input. It helped alot.

ありがとう


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