Japanese honorifics
In Japan, it is common to use honorific titles after a person's name. The most common title is san, which means all of "Mr.", "Mrs.", and "Ms." Hence, in Japanese, Mr. Tanaka is referred to as Tanaka-san. Other common titles include, sama, sensei, kun and chan. These titles are placed after the name. They are not usually used with one's own name.
Use
Correct use of titles is considered very important in Japan. In most situations, omitting a title when calling someone, called yobisute (呼び捨て) (literally, "call and leave off [the title]") is considered very bad manners.
Although titles are usually added to names, there are some exceptions. They are not usually used when talking about a family member or another member of one's "in-group" to someone from outside the group. Inside a group such as a company, the members use titles such as san towards each other. However, when talking to people from outside their company, they do not use the titles when referring to each other. This applies even to superiors. For example, the receptionist, when talking to the company president, will certainly use a title such as shachō or Maeda-sama; however, when referring to the president when talking to outsiders, the same receptionist will simply refer to President Maeda as Maeda, without any title. Honorific titles are also usually dropped when referring to historical figures, although awarded titles, such as military titles, are sometimes used.
Common honorific titles
San
San (さん) is the most common honorific title, used when addressing most social outsiders, for example, non-family members. San is used unless the addressee's status warrants one of the other terms mentioned below.
San is often translated as "Mr.", "Ms.", "Mrs.", and the like. San may also be used in combination with things other than the name of the person being addressed. For example, a bookseller might be addressed as honya-san "Mr. Bookseller", and a butcher as nikuya-san "Ms. Butcher".
San is also used when talking about entities such as companies. For example, the offices or shop of a company called Kojima Denki might be referred to as "Kojima Denki-san" by another nearby company. This may be seen on the small maps often used in phone books and business cards in Japan, where the names of surrounding companies are written using san.
San is also applied to some kinds of foods. For example, fish used for cooking are sometimes referred to as sakana-san. It is also sometimes applied to animals—a rabbit might be usagi-san.
Note: Han (はん) is the Kyoto and, more widely, Kansai dialect's equivalent of san.
Kun
Kun (君) is an informal and intimate honorific primarily used towards males. It is used by persons of senior status in addressing those of junior status, by males of roughly the same age and status when addressing each other, and by anyone in addressing male children. In business settings women, particularly young women, may also be addressed as kun by older males of senior status. It is sometimes used towards male pets as well.
Schoolteachers typically address male students using kun, while female students are addressed as san or chan. The use of kun to address male children is similar to the use of san when addressing adults. In other words, not using kun would be considered rude, but, like san for members of one's own family, kun is traditionally not used when addressing one's own son (unless kun is part of a nickname: Akira-kun—Akkun) or when referring to one's own child in conversations with others.
In the Diet of Japan, diet members and ministers are called kun by the chairpersons. For example, Junichiro Koizumi is called "Koizumi Jun'ichirō-kun". The only exception is that when Takako Doi was the chairperson of the lower house, she used the san title.
Chan
Chan (ちゃん) is the hypocoristic suffix, used to refer to children, animals, and people whom one has known since they were children. To use chan for adults whom one has not known since their childhood requires considerable intimacy, less for women than for men. Attaching chan to a modified stem is more intimate than attaching it to the full form of the basic name. Chan may also used for celebrities as a title of affection. For example, Arnold Schwarzenegger gained the nickname Shuwa chan in Japanese. Although traditionally honorifics are not applied to oneself, some young women occasionally develop the habit of referring to themselves in the third person using chan. For example, a young woman named Maki might call herself Maki-chan rather than using a first person pronoun. Chan is also used for pets' names and when referring to animals, such as usagi-chan (or, more frequently, usa-chan: rabbit+chan) (e.g. Tama-chan, the flying turtle in Love Hina), or when speaking to small children.
Non-standard variations of chan include chin (ちん), and tan (たん). This last is also the popular suffix for moé anthropomorphisms, which are artistic memes on Japanese imageboards wherein a female character, usually in a kind of cosplay, is drawn to represent an inanimate object or popular consumer product. Part of the humor of this personification comes from the personality ascribed to the character (often satirical) and the sheer arbitrariness of identifying a variety of machines, objects, and even physical places as cute.
Famous examples include the OS-tan (representing computer operating systems) and Bisuke-tan (representing KFC biscuits). Some characters such as Bincho-tan are actual mascots of companies.
The Japanese media use chan when mentioning pre-elementary school children and sometimes elementary-school girls.
Senpai and kōhai
Senpai (先輩) is used by students to refer to or address senior students in an academic or other learning environment, or in athletics and sports clubs, and also in business settings to refer to those in more senior positions. Kōhai (後輩) is the reverse of this. It is used to refer to or address juniors, though it might be considered somewhat insulting or overly condescending in some circles to refer to someone as kōhai directly.
Sensei
Sensei (先生) (derived from Mandarin Chinese xiān shēng, meaning Mister) is used to refer to or address teachers, practitioners of a profession such as doctors and lawyers, politicians, and other authority figures. It is used to show respect to someone who has achieved a certain level of mastery in an art form or some other skill. For example, Japanese manga fans refer to manga artists using the term sensei, as in Takahashi sensei for manga artist Rumiko Takahashi; the term is used similarly by fans of other creative professionals such as novelists, musicians, and artists. It is also a common martial arts title when referring to the instructor.
Sensei can also be using fawningly, as evinced by adherents in addressing or talking about charismatic business, political, and religious leaders (especially unordained ones). Japanese speakers will also use the term sarcastically to ridicule overblown or fawning adulation of such leaders, and the Japanese media frequently invoke it (rendered in katakana, akin to scare quotes or italics in English) to highlight the megalomania of those who allow themselves to be sycophantically addressed with the term. A further, similar use is to address or refer to someone who acts in a self-important or -aggrandizing manner.
Sama
Sama (様) is the formal version of san. This honorific is used primarily in addressing persons much higher in rank than oneself and in commercial and business settings to address and refer to customers. It also appears in words used to address or speak of persons or objects for which the speaker wishes to show respect or deference, such as okyaku-sama (customer) or Tateishi-sama (a stone revered as a deity). Additionally, Japanese Christians will refer to God in prayer as Kami-sama. People will also affix sama to the names of personages who have a special talent and are considered particularly attractive, though this usage can also be tongue-in-cheek, exaggerated, or even ironic. Examples include "Tanaka-sama" to refer to a young man named Tanaka who is considered rather handsome by his admirers and the "Leo-Sama" (or "Reo-sama") that has become the media's pet name for Leonardo DiCaprio. Further, sama can be used to express arrogance (or self-effacing irony), such as in the arrogant male pronoun ore-sama ("my esteemed self") for "I". Referring to oneself with -sama is considered to be highly egotistical.
Sama also follows the addressee's name on postal packages and letters and is frequently seen in business e-mails.
It is worth noting that the sama appearing in such set phrases as o-machidō sama ("sorry to keep you waiting"), o-tsukare sama (an expression of empathy for people who have been working long and hard), and go-kuro sama (an expression recognizing someone's labors), though written with the same kanji, is etymologically and semantically distinct from the sama used as term of address.
In the same way that chan is a version of san, there is also chama from sama, typically used for an older person.
Shi
Shi (氏) is used in formal writing, and sometimes in very formal speech, for referring to a person who is unfamiliar to the speaker, typically a person known through publications whom the speaker has never met. For example, the shi title is common in the speech of newsreaders. It is preferred in legal documents, academic journals, and certain other formal written styles. Once a person's name has been used with shi, the person can be referred to with shi alone, without the name, as long as there is only one person being referred to.
Other titles
Occupation-related titles
Instead of the above general honorifics, it is fairly common to use the name of the person's job after the name. It is common for sports athletes to be referred to as XXX-senshu (選手) rather than XXX-san. Japanese soccer-player Robert Cullen is referred to as Karen-senshu. A master carpenter might have the title tōryō (棟梁), meaning "master carpenter", attached to his name, and be referred to as "Suzuki-Tōryō" rather than "Suzuki-San". Television lawyer Kazuya Maruyama is referred to by television presenters and in promotional literature as Maruyama bengoshi (丸山弁護士) (literally "Maruyama-lawyer"), but would be called Maruyama-sensei by a private client. A minority of educated Japanese now prefer to address their attorneys as XXX-bengoshi because the traditional appellation XXX-sensei is felt to be unduly deferential.
Inside companies, it is also common to refer to people using their company rank, particularly for those of a high rank, such as company president, shachō (社長) or other titles such as buchō (部長), department chief, etc.
Honorific job titles
The name of a job may have two versions. For example, "translator" may be hon'yakuka (翻訳家) or hon'yakusha (翻訳者). Job titles ending in ka (家), literally "house", usually imply some kind of expertise, thus, by the rules of modesty in Japanese, they are not usually used for oneself. The plain form with sha (者), literally "person", may be used by the person or in plain text, such as the book title. Use of the ka ending implies respect. Similarly, there are jūdōka (柔道家), or "judo experts" in judo, and manga authors are referred to as mangaka (漫画家) or "manga experts".
In the case of farmers, the old name hyakushō (百姓) (literally "one hundred surnames") is now considered offensive (see kotobagari), and farmers are referred to, and refer to themselves as, nōka (農家), or "farming experts".
Honorific job titles such as sensei, which is applied to teachers, doctors and lawyers, also have plain forms. For example, in plain language, a teacher is a kyōshi (教師), a doctor is an isha (医者) or ishi (医師) and a lawyer is bengoshi (弁護士). The polite versions are used when addressing or talking about the person, but the plain forms are used when referring to their profession.
Titles for criminals and the accused
Convicted criminals were once referred to without any title, though today with the title hikoku (被告) for political correctness. For example, Matsumoto-hikoku of Aum Shinrikyo. Suspects awaiting trial are referred to by the title yōgisha (容疑者) for the same reason.
These titles were made for political correctness, however, they have become derogatory during time. When Goro Inagaki was arrested for a traffic accident in 2001, some media referred him with the new-made title menbaa (メンバー), originating from the English word member, to avoid use of yōgisha (容疑者). This title, however, was criticized as an unnatural term and became derogatory almost instantly.
The title jukeisha (受刑者) indicates a criminal serving a sentence.
Titles for companies
As mentioned above, companies often refer to each other's offices informally using the company name plus san. In correspondence, the title onchū (御中) is added to the company name when the letter is not addressed to a specific person in the company. Furthermore, it is considered highly important to mention the status of the company, either incorporated, kabushikigaisha (株式会社), often abbreviated with the kanji kabu (株) in brackets, or limited, yūgen gaisha (有限会社), often abbreviated with the kanji yū (有) in brackets either before or after the company's name.
There are also separate words for "our company", heisha (弊社), which literally means "clumsy/poor company", and "your company", kisha (貴社), in writing, or onsha (御社), in speech, which both literally mean "honoured company". Heisha or onsha can also be replaced with the more neutral tōsha (当社), literally "this company", or jisha (自社).
For organizations that provide professional services, such as law or accounting firms, sha may be substituted by jimusho (事務所, meaning "office") in the above constructs.
See also Japanese etiquette.
Dono / tono
Dono and tono (both written 殿) roughly mean "lord". This title is no longer used in daily conversation, though it is still used in some types of written business correspondance. It is also seen on drug prescriptions, certificates and awards, and in written correspondence in tea ceremonies.
Note: Fans of anime and manga may notice that the use of this honorific is not uncommon. It often comes up in two forms.
- submissive -- Using its "lord" or "master" roots, this form of dono is often considered to show slightly less respect than sama, but more than san. In the anime Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-ohki, the character Mihoshi is addressed by her computer unit as "Mihoshi-dono." In fansubbed anime where military or para-military organisations are featured, "dono" is translated as "sir." Likewise, when used by Himura Kenshin in the anime Rurouni Kenshin when referring to women it is intended to show great humility and respect for the adresse.
- equal -- This form of dono is used by a powerful/important person to address another powerful/important person with a great deal of respect without elevating the addressee above the addresser. In the anime Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-ohki, the characters of Seto-sama and Washu address the main character Tenchi as "Tenchi-dono" out of respect for his great abilities.
- Other uses -- In the anime AIR Kanna calls Ryuuya, her bodyguard, a very skilled swordsman, 'Ryuuya-dono'.
Ue
Ue (上) literally means "above" and, appropriately, denotes a high level of respect. While its use is no longer very common, it is still seen in constructions like 父上 (chichi-ue) and 母上 (haha-ue), reverent terms for one's own, or someone else's, father and mother, respectively.
Iemoto
Iemoto (家元) is an even more polite version of sensei used for the highest ranking person heading a school or group in traditional art forms such as calligraphy, flower arrangement or tea ceremony. It is not generally used with the martial arts.
Royal titles
- Heika (陛下) is affixed to the end of a royal title, with a meaning similar to "Majesty". For example, Tennō heika (天皇陛下) means "His Majesty, the Emperor" and Joō heika (女王陛下) means "Her Majesty, the Queen" (e.g. of Denmark). Heika by itself can also be used as a direct term of address, similar to "Your Majesty".
- Denka (殿下) is affixed to the end of a royal title, with a meaning similar to "Royal Highness" or "Majesty". For example Suwēden Ōkoku Bikutoria Kōtaishi denka (スウェーデン王国 ビクトリア皇太子殿下) "Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Victoria of the Kingdom of Sweden".
- Kakka (閣下) means "Your Excellency" and is used for ambassadors and heads of state.
- Hime is used as an honorific if one were addressing a princess. For example, the anime Princess Mononoke is called in Japanese Mononoke Hime. Hime may also be used as a euphemism for the Princess, often addressing her as "Hime". In English you would be saying Princess, addressing her by her title.
Martial Arts Titles
Martial Artists often use Sensei to distinguish instructors of a particular Ryu. Junior and Senior students are often organized via a sempai/kohai system. Other titles are conferred loosely and under no particular standardization. They often follow the commonly used black belt or Dan system of ranking. The usage of these titles is quite common outside of Japan and is subject to much interpretation.
The following explanations assume that judan (10th degree black belt) is the top rank within a style, and these are loosely defined.
- Renshi (連師) often refers to an advanced instructor. Renshi means "teacher" or "one who has mastered himself." In many styles, it is awarded around the 5th degree godan (五段) or 6th degree rokudan (六段) black belt level.
- Kyoshi (俠師) refers to a master instructor. It is the second formal teaching rank. This title is usually awarded to one who has achieved a rank of 7th or 8th degree black belt (nanadan (七段) or hachidan (八段). Kyoshi are typically regarded as those who have distinguished themselves as expert teachers or instructors.
- Hanshi (藩師) or sometimes Shihan (師藩) refers to the senior instructor of instructors. This title is usually conferred at the 9th (kyudan) or 10th dan (jyudan) ranking, usually by the senior leader or leadership of the organization. This title is given to a senior instructor who has distinguished himself as a teacher of teachers.