Japanese name to passport romaji

How it works

1. Type the name in hiragana or katakana, family name and given name separated by a space. One name per line.
2. Keep the Passport spelling for a passport, an airline ticket or anything that must match one.
3. Choose Textbook Hepburn to write long vowels with macrons (Ōno Shōhei), or Every kana spelled out to keep each kana as a letter.
4. Copy the result. A name with a loanword sound (ティ, ファ, ヴァ …) is marked for a check.

Frequently asked questions

Which rules does the passport spelling follow?

The Hepburn rules the Japanese passport office uses: long vowels are not written (おおの → ONO, ゆうこ → YUKO), ん before B, M or P is written M (ほんま → HOMMA, なんば → NAMBA), a doubled consonant before CH is written T (はっちょう → HATCHO), and there is no apostrophe between N and a vowel (しんいち → SHINICHI).

Why can I not type the name in kanji?

Because kanji do not say how a name is read: 裕子 can be Yuko, Hiroko or Yasuko, and only its owner knows which. Type the reading in hiragana or katakana; a line with kanji in it is left with a note instead of a guess.

My passport says OHNO, not ONO. Is that wrong?

No. On request, a Japanese passport can write a long O as OH (OHNO), OO or OU instead of leaving it out. That is chosen when the passport is applied for, and every later passport and ticket should repeat it. This tool gives the standard spelling; use the one in your passport if it differs.

What does the note about a loanword sound mean?

Kana like ティ, ファ and ヴァ are not in the traditional Hepburn table. They are spelled the usual way (TI, FA, VA), but the passport office may accept or require another spelling, especially for names from other languages, so the line is marked for you to check with them.

Is the name sent anywhere?

No. The table is applied in this page, and nothing you type leaves your device.