Is it always necessary to ask how someone's name is pronounced if you encounter it first in writing?

This question is similar to "how many kanji do Japanese natives know?" but a bit more specific, because I'm particularly interested in the jinmeiyō kanji.

My understanding is that they are the kanji commonly used for people's names. I am not clear whether the jōyō kanji are also used for names, or only the jinmeiyō kanji. That's part A of the question.

Part B is whether Japanese natives generally know the readings for all the jinmeiyō kanji, such that when they see someone's name in writing they automatically know how to pronounce it without furigana. Is it common practice to have to ask what the name's reading is? Do people ever use furigana for names, like in books where you obviously can't ask the characters how to pronounce their names?

Answer

Part A

常用漢字{じょうようかんじ} (Jōyō Kanji) and 人名用漢字{じんめいようかんじ} (Jinmeiyō Kanji) are two separate and non-overlapping lists, but Kanji used in a person's name can be from either list. 常用漢字 are the most common in names as well as in general, but because Kanji used in many names are more unique and diverse than these more common Kanji, the 人名用漢字 list was created so that people could use these more unique and diverse Kanji as their legal names.

For instance the 人名用漢字 list contains "alternate forms" for Kanji that are also on the 常用漢字 list. But it also contains Kanji that are not on the 常用漢字 list at all.

For instance, 「櫻{さくら}」is an alternate (in this case the un-simplified) form of「桜{さくら}」which is included on the 人名用漢字 list. So you are free to use either character in your legal name. But you should not write the word "sakura" with the alternate form in a public records or communication context.

The point of the 常用漢字 list is to restrict the number of Kanji that are used in public records and communication, like driver's licenses, television, newspapers and so on.

The point of the 人名用漢字 list is to accommodate people whose names include certain Kanji that are somewhat common, but only in the context of people's names.

That being said, most of the 人名用漢字 are not common at all and are not studied in school as a requirement the way that 常用漢字 are. However, in the context of historical figures whose names include Kanji outside of the 常用漢字, 人名用漢字 would be used.

Part B

Generally speaking a Japanese person would only be familiar with Kanji on the 人名用漢字 list if they know people or characters who have names that include Kanji from that list.

Names in books can use any Kanji from either list. However, even with very common 常用漢字, names can be difficult enough to read to warrant the use of furigana.

For instance you may see a character with the last name 東雲{しののめ}, where both of the Kanji for this name are very common ("east" and "cloud"), but the pronunciation would be unfamiliar to many people.

Also, it bears noting that regardless of which Kanji are used in a name, ultimately the pronunciation can be almost anything. The way this works is that when a name is registered (like for a new-born baby) there are two separate fields, one for the Kanji used in the name and one for the Kana that is used to pronounce it.

And yes, it is very common and polite to ask how to pronounce a person's name when you see it only in writing, even if it is a common one.

• If you see a common name like 山本, you may say 「ヤマモトさんですね？」or more politely, 「ヤマモトさんとお読みしてよろしいでしょうか？」


• If you see a name which may have more than one common pronunciation like 林, you may say 「ハヤシさんでしょうか？」or more politely, 「ハヤシさんとお読みしてよろしいでしょうか？」


• If you see an unusual name like 劉, you can say「何と読みますか？」or more politely, 「何とお読みすればよろしいでしょ‌​うか？」