Change of Name and Modifications of Kanji

- In Japan there is a practice known as 改名 (kaimei), which means “change of name”, although some Okinawan teachers prefer to call it kaete, and others kaite, because in Okinawa there is a special sensitivity towards the continuity of identity and it is thought that kaimei is NOT a correct designation, because they understand that the names should NOT be radically changed, but should be harmonized and balanced, maintaining their pronunciation and essence.

Kaimei (used primarily in Central Japan and only for native speakers)
- Mostly used to choose new names that haven't yet become established, this practice is often applied to newly started companies, as well as to many newborn babies. The names are analyzed using a technique called seimei handan, and are often changed to other names that also harmonize. For example, the name "Seiichi", in addition to being written with other kanji, can be changed to "Juichi" (which sounds different but means the same) or even to another name that sounds different and also means something completely different.

- Kaete (替えて) and Kaite (書いて) (used primarily in Okinawa and some other traditionalist regions of Japan by natives and foreigners, and are usually applied in more symbolic or spiritual contexts).
- Kaete implies “replacing” or “modifying” EVERYTHING that is necessary, but without changing the pronunciation and without changing the essence.
- Kaite -among other things- means "to rewrite", referring to rewriting the name with more auspicious and positive strokes, but also without altering its pronunciation.
- In Okinawa, both words are used to express that the name is energetically reconfigured, but NOT replaced by other name (example: the name “Seiichi” will always sound like “Seiichi”, even if it is written with different kanji).

- Okinawa has a more spiritual and harmonious worldview, influenced by the Ryukyu Kingdom and its specific traditions.
- The name is considered an extension of the soul, so changing it completely would be like altering the essence of the person; that is why the process is seen more as a purification or vibrational and energetic adjustment, and not as a substitution, and experts in this technique usually spread out a papyrus or a wooden tablet where, in addition to the name already purified and harmonized, symbols and characters related to the five elements (fire, water, wood, metal and earth) are written.
- In Okinawa, and in some other traditionalist regions of Japan, it is believed that altering the way a name is written influences a person's luck or destiny, and especially the course of their life. This is based on the number of strokes in the kanji, which are related to Okinawan numerology (Ryukyu Onmyodo) or Japanese numerology (kazuji).
- Although the names are written in kanji, some are also written in katakana (especially foreign ones), seeking to neutralize negative influences and energies and facilitate energy.

1 Ichi = Beginning, uniqueness, leadership
2 Ni = Duality, balance, harmony
3 San = Luck, stability (present in many rituals)
5 Go = Represents the five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, water)
7 Shichi/Nana = Good luck, spirituality (Shichi-Go-San festival)
8 Hachi = Prosperity and expansion (due to its wide shape at the base)
10 Juu = Fullness, perfection, closing of cycle

- On car or phone license plates, many prefer to include the number 8 or 7 for good fortune.
- Among traditional Okinawans who are fluent in the writing and structure of very old kanji, it is considered that PRIME numbers are almost all positive, or good (with very few exceptions), and that most numbers that are NOT prime are negative/bad or neutral (with some exceptions).

4 Shi = Sounds the same as “death” (死)
9 Ku = Sounds like “suffering” (苦)
43 Shi-san = Sounds like “stillbirth” (avoided in maternity wards)
42 Shi-ni = Sounds like “prepare to die” (avoided in hospitals)

- In Japanese hospitals and hotels, floors 4 and 9 are often omitted; and in gifts, giving 4 or 9 items is avoided.

This practice is called 姓名判断 (seimei handan), and is based on:
- Number of traces of kanji.
- Meaning of the kanji: Characters with positive meanings, such as "light", "harmony", "wisdom", "flower", and others, are chosen.
- Sound and balance: The names must sound good, and have a balanced structure between surname and first name.

Example:
- Person's name: 美咲 (Misaki)
- 美 (mi) = beauty (9 strokes)
- 咲 (saki) = to bloom (9 strokes)
- Total: 18 strokes → considered auspicious in Central Japan, but not so much in Okinawa because it has two kanji with 9 strokes each one.

In the business world, a company's name is also carefully analyzed:
- Kanji with powerful meanings: such as 成 (success), 栄 (prosperity), 吉 (good luck), 商 (trade).
- Auspicious strokes: the aim is for the total number of strokes in the name to equal a certain number “吉” (Well).
- Avoid strokes “凶” (bad): numbers associated with failure, conflict, or bad luck. The symbol 凶It is a Japanese kanji that represents negative concepts such as evil, disaster, calamity or bad luck, pronounced kyō (キョウ) and it has only 4 strokes (which makes it easy to identify), but it is loaded with unfavorable connotations.

Why the traces 凶 are avoided in names?
- In practices such as seimei handan (name analysis), the strokes of the kanji are added together to obtain numbers that are classified as:
- 吉 (kichi): auspicious, good luck
- 凶 (kyō): unfavorable, bad luck
- If the total number of strokes in a name results in a number associated with 凶,It is believed that it can attract problems, conflicts, or imbalance. Therefore, many people choose to modify the spelling of their name to avoid this type of influence.
- In Central Japan, the numbers 4 (shi), 9 (ku), and 13 (jusan) are avoided because of their associations with death, suffering, and bad luck, respectively.
- In Okinawa, the numbers 4 and 9 are also avoided, but not so much the number 13, especially among people who master very old kanji that are no longer taught and are not currently used in Central Japan, who maintain the Chinese writing system (for the Chinese, 13 is a good number and its association with bad luck is due to the influence of the Western world)

Example: Company name: 栄商堂 (Eishōdo)
- 栄 = prosperity
- 商 = trade
- 堂 = lounge, establishment
- Total number of strokes: it is calculated to give a number such as 21, 24 or 31, which are considered very positive.
When the name is not favorable:
- This is where the practice of 改名 (Kaimei), meaning name change, involves modifying the spelling of the names (while preserving its pronunciation) to improve good luck. However, radical changes are often advised, altering the spelling and the pronunciation. In some cases, even for native people, the name may be written in katakana, to further neutralize negative influences (especially from outside).

EN KATAKANA:

- Edgar → エドガー (Edogā)
- Fernando → フェルナンド (Ferunando)
- Prieto → プリエト (Purieto)

IN OKINAWAN KANJIS (KAETE/KAITE):

- Edgar → 江多賀 (Etaga)
- 江 (e) = bay, water inlet
- 多 (ta) = many
- 賀 (ga) = congratulations, celebration
→ SYMBOLIC MEANING = “Many blessings in the bay”
- Fernando → 奮南道 (Funnan-dō)
- 奮 (fun) = effort, enthusiasm
- 南 (nan) = south
- 道 (dō) = way, path
→ SYMBOLIC MEANING = “Path of enthusiasm towards the south”
- Prieto → 富礼翔 (Fureishō)
- 富 (fu) = wealth
- 礼 (rei) = courtesy
- 翔 (shō) = to fly high
→ SYMBOLIC MEANING = “Wealth and courtesy that rise”

- To apply the method, the strokes of each kanji are added together and it is evaluated whether the total falls into an auspicious category (吉) or unfavorable (凶).
For example:
- 江 (6) + 多 (6) + 賀 (12) = 24 traces → considered very auspicious
- 奮 (16) + 南 (9) + 道 (12) = 37 traces → can be neutral or favorable
- 富 (12) + 礼 (5) + 翔 (12) = 29 traces → generally positive
If the total number of traces is a number like 21, 24, 31, 33, 39,... the name is considered lucky.

Edgar → 恵翔賀 (Keishōga)
- 恵 (ke) = blessing, grace (10 traces)
- 翔 (shō) = to fly high, freedom (12 traces)
- 賀 (ga) = celebration, congratulations (12 traces)
Total: 34 traces → considered favorable
Fernando → 奮道智 (Fundōchi)
- 奮 (fun) = effort, passion (16 traces)
- 道 (dō) = path, way (12 traces)
- 智 (chi) = wisdom (12 traces)
Total: 40 traces → can be neutral or positive, depending on the balance with the surname
Prieto → 富礼翔 (Fureishō)
- 富 (fu) = wealth (12 traces)
- 礼 (rei) = courtesy (5 traces)
- 翔 (shō) = to fly high (12 traces)
Total: 29 traces → considered positive

In seimei handan, the following are evaluated:
- Combination of surname and first name
- Sound and rhythm
Example: Full name: 恵翔賀 奮道智 富礼翔 (EDGAR FERNANDO PRIETO)
- Total of traces: 34 + 40 + 29 = 103 traces → This number can be divided into parts to assess the balance between surname and given name. If we separate it into blocks (for example, 34+69, or 31+39+33), we can look for each part to have an auspicious number such as 24, 31, 33, 39, and others that are also considered positive/good numbers.

In Okinawa, the Kaete process does not involve to change the name toward a different one, but rather adjusting the kanji, so that the name maintains its original pronunciation but improves its energetic harmony.

Typical steps of Okinawan Kaete:
- Maintain the phonetics: The name still sounds the same (for example, “Haruka” -regardless of the kanji and how many strokes it has- it is still and sounds like “Haruka”).
- Change the kanji: New characters are chosen that have: More auspicious strokes according to the Seimei Handan and more positive or spiritually aligned meanings.
- Consult with a teacher or specialist: In Okinawa, this may include people with knowledge of uchinaa yamatoguchi (local dialect) and traditional spiritual practices.
- Harmonization ritual: Sometimes accompanied by a symbolic ceremony, such as writing the new name on special paper, burning it, or placing it on a family altar, or on a kamikan). The goal is NOT to "erase" the previous name, but to harmonize it, balance it, and refine it as if sharpening a tool that is already valuable.

This process is based on the idea that the sound of the name is already in tune with the person, and what is needed is to adjust its written representation, so that written could be in balance with their path (it means the course of their life) and their destiny.

- Rewriting with alternative kanji:
- This is to achieve that the new kanji could have more positive meanings (such as "light", "peace", "flower", "wisdom").
- Kanji with negative connotations, or traces that are considered "heavy", are avoided.
- Traces analysis:
- The number of traces for each kanji and their total combination are calculated.
- What it is looking for is that the sum of the traces (it means the total traces) could benefit the health, relationships, and to achieve a professional success.
- Use of hiragana or katakana:
- In some cases, the name is written in phonetic syllabaries to avoid the energetic charge of the kanji and also possible foreign influences or interference.

Example:
The name “Yui” can be written in several ways:
- 結⾐ (“union” + “clothes”), is pronounced Yui
- 唯 (“"unique"), pronounced Yui
- 優依 (““kindness” + “trust”), is pronounced Yui
This way each spelling has the same pronunciation, but conveys a different energy.

FIRST NAME = THE ONE YOU USE OR PREFER (if you have more than one first name)
SURNAME = THE ONE YOU USE (IT CAN BE THE PATERNAL AND/OR THE MATERNAL)

IN KATAKANA (for foreign names)
Non-Japanese names are written in katakana, which represents phonetic sounds. A common transliteration would be:
- Fernando → フェルナンド (Ferunando)
- Prieto → プリエト (Purieto)
So, the full name would be: フェルナンド・プリエト [the midpoint (·) is used to separate proper nouns].

IN KANJI
Foreign names do not have official kanji, but sometimes kanji are chosen because of their sound and meaning.
- Fernando → 風南土 (Fūnan-do)
- 風 (fū): wind
- 南 (nan): south
- 土 (do): land
- Prieto → 富礼翔 (Fureishō)
- 富 (fu): wealth
- 礼 (rei): courtesy
- 翔 (shō): to fly