Tomato, Tomoko, Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off

Tomoko turns into “Tomato” via 自動修正(改悪)機能 (auto[in]correct). But I’m OK with it if someone inadvertently does this to me in their email or text. After all, “Tomato” is a retro term used to describe a woman who exudes confidence and knows her way around. I’ll gladly take it. 

Some people are very 礼儀正しい (polite) to ask me how to pronounce my name, and others 滅茶苦茶にする (hopelessly butcher it).  I still don’t understand how some people, more than you will imagine, call me “Tomiko” when it is clearly spelled with three o’s.

I can always tell I’m in a more おしゃれな (sophisticated) town by how they treat my name when I order something at スタバ (Starbucks).  They don’t ask me to spell my name, and when my drink is ready, they actually pronounce my name right.  However, in a less cosmopolitan town (I can think of some other terms but I’m being polite here), they would call me “Matcha Tea Latte Grande Hot (抹茶ティーラテグランデホット)” even though my name is spelled out on the cup.

When I first moved here to the US, I was rather surprised that I met so many アジアからの移民 (Asian immigrants) whose names were Michelle, Cathey, Stephen, James, etc.  I learned later that a lot of them take up English names to assimilate.  I’ve met some Japanese men who wanted to be called, Ken, Ted, Joe, etc.  However, the Japanese women I met, Sayuri, Yoko, Megumi, etc. all wanted to keep their Japanese names. あっぱれ (you go girls)!

Then, while watching NHK World Japan (broadcasted in English), I noticed they now use the last name + first name convention for Japanese names.  For example, 総理大臣 (prime minister) is Ishiba Shigeru (石破茂) instead of Shigeru Ishiba which I would expect to hear on CNN.  Their announcers introduce themselves as Shibuya Aki, and Yamaguchi Hiroaki; however, some of them use Yoko Komagata and Catherine Kobayashi.  I sent an 問い合わせのメール (inquiry email) to NHK and their reply was that they decided to use the last name + first name convention a few years back but should some people prefer the other way around, they bend their rules.  Do I want to be called Tomoko Parry or パリー智子 (Parry Tomoko)?  Good question (即答が難しい).  I have to think about it.

But what’s in a name?  I must say, a tomato by any other name would taste as sweet (トマトはどんな名前であっても、その味は変わらない)! (My apologies to Shakespeare)