Questions about writing Japanese names?

Question

I have a couple quick questions. If you are writing someone's name (on, say, a business card) where it's rendered horizontal, do you put the surname left or right?

For instance, for the name: Taro Hoshino (western rendering, given name followed by family name -- in Japanese, it would be Hoshino Taro)

Would it properly be rendered: 星野 太郎 ?

Also, I read that on business cards, when the name is written in romanji, it is westernized as above (with given name first). Is this correct?

Thank you in advance!

Michiyo · Accepted Answer

Yes, you write like this; 星野 太郎

There is no fixed rule in writing Japanese names in romaji (not roma"n"ji) with regard to the order of name and family name. Many people write their given names first, followed by family names (like Taro Hoshino) just because they think it will be easier for the western people to understand. Nowadays however there are some Japanese who began to write their family names first, because that's the order of Japanese names.

Questions about writing Japanese names?

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