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Surnames or Real Names?

gwendy85

~*Proudly Mestiza*~
30 Aug 2005
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Hi guys!

I noticed (at least in books that I've read) that Japanese people call each other by surnames, esp. boys. So when does one call a person by surname or their real names? When they're close enough and you add the suffix --kun, --chan and such? When does one use --kun and --chan and also --san?

Arigato! 👍
 
I figured out that japanese people would only call someone by his/her firstname when he/she is a very close friend (or family ofcourse).

-kun is used when you are talking to someone who has a lower rank, for example a teacher talking to a pupil. -chan is the same but only used for women. -san is the form which is used most I think. When there isnt any really difference between you and the person you mention. Like you are talking to someone and mention another persons name, you would add -san behind his name..

Please correct me if I made a mistake somewhere..
 
Be careful.

Hi guys!
I noticed (at least in books that I've read) that Japanese people call each other by surnames, esp. boys. So when does one call a person by surname or their real names? When they're close enough and you add the suffix --kun, --chan and such? When does one use --kun and --chan and also --san?
Arigato! 👍

If the answer to this is for Gwendy's book she is working on, it might have been different in the 1940's then it is today. Not sure if she is asking for now or then? Plus military life might have been different than civilian.

Uncle Frank

:?
 
Hi guys!
I noticed (at least in books that I've read) that Japanese people call each other by surnames, esp. boys. So when does one call a person by surname or their real names? When they're close enough and you add the suffix --kun, --chan and such? When does one use --kun and --chan and also --san?
Arigato! 👍
Family name or "First" name is probably a better way to put it. Your first name is still your real name ;)
 
If the answer to this is for Gwendy's book she is working on, it might have been different in the 1940's then it is today. Not sure if she is asking for now or then? Plus military life might have been different than civilian.
Uncle Frank
:?

Thanks for remembering, Uncle Frank

Yes, I am still working on that novel (unfortunately, I am yet to find someonhe who can help me translate some romaji stuff :( ) Anyway, I am looking for something in the '40s.

Thanks to the others for clearing me up on the --kun thing. I guess I made a mistake when I had my character's fiancee call him Kazu-kun (from Kazuo). But Kazuo calls his fiancee Amaya-chan. That's okay, right? So, how should Amaya call Kazuo fondly? They're childhood friends. Should she call him Kazu-chan? or some sort of pet name?

Arigato!😊
 
then how about chin?

My wife calls me Dave-chin (... it is supose to be kind a cute... or is she lying haha)
 
Thanks for remembering, Uncle Frank
Yes, I am still working on that novel (unfortunately, I am yet to find someonhe who can help me translate some romaji stuff :( ) Anyway, I am looking for something in the '40s.
Thanks to the others for clearing me up on the --kun thing. I guess I made a mistake when I had my character's fiancee call him Kazu-kun (from Kazuo). But Kazuo calls his fiancee Amaya-chan. That's okay, right? So, how should Amaya call Kazuo fondly? They're childhood friends. Should she call him Kazu-chan? or some sort of pet name?
Arigato!😊

hmm if they are friends for such a long time, I think they wouldnt add any prefix. Otherwise they would both add -san ..
 
-kun is used for boys. -chan is mainly used for girls. -san is used for boys and girls and it is more formal than -kun or -chan.
 
Thanks for remembering, Uncle Frank

Yes, I am still working on that novel (unfortunately, I am yet to find someonhe who can help me translate some romaji stuff :( ) Anyway, I am looking for something in the '40s.

Thanks to the others for clearing me up on the --kun thing. I guess I made a mistake when I had my character's fiancee call him Kazu-kun (from Kazuo). But Kazuo calls his fiancee Amaya-chan. That's okay, right? So, how should Amaya call Kazuo fondly? They're childhood friends. Should she call him Kazu-chan? or some sort of pet name?

Arigato!😊

It really depends (1) how old are they (2) how long they knew each other.

If the couple are still young, up to early 20s,ツ and they knew each other since childhood then they might call each other's name with "-chan".
(-chan is not limited to girls.)
Like "Kazu-chan" (Shorten name is used for children.), "Amaya chan"/"Ama chan".

If they got to know each other not for a long time, say 1-2 years, it is also possible that they call each other like "Kazuo san" and "Amaya" (w/o any -chan/san). "Amaya chan" is also possible.

[off-topic]
Amaya sounds very unusual name for girls in 1940s by the way.
Any special background for this name? And what kanji is used?
I'm curious. :)
[/off-topic]
 
I sometimes called my older friends -chan, depending on their names and how well it fit. Of course they were good friends, I wouldn't have done it to someone I didnt know well.
Im Kara chan, and I don't care who calls me that, I don't really know any japanese younger than me, aside from friends babies.

I have a friend who I call Hiro-kun, even though he too is a bit older than me, but my ex boyfriend (who is Korean) always messed up and called him Hiro-chan, much to his disgust. I guess it was because I was always calling the girls -chan, that he didnt realise otherwise.
 
[off-topic]
Amaya sounds very unusual name for girls in 1940s by the way.
Any special background for this name? And what kanji is used?
I'm curious. :)
[/off-topic]


I agree with you though I would not surprised if there is a girl named "amaya"
One thing which sound bit strange to me is the way she is called "ama-chan".
calling her "a-cchan" or "maya-chan" seems to be more natural.
 
-kun is used for boys. -chan is mainly used for girls. -san is used for boys and girls and it is more formal than -kun or -chan.
Yes, I read this factoid before, which was why I used it for my novel.
Shorten name is used for children
Yes, I read about this one too, which was why I had Amaya call Kazuo Kazu-kun.
Here's some info on them. Kazuo and Amaya have known each other since they were 7-6 years old. They are now 19 and 18 respectively, and well on their way to marriage (I read in the novel Shiokari Pass that 19 was the cut-off age for Japanese girls to marry. Is this true?) So, their pet names have been carried since their childhood days, thus, Kazu-kun. But I'm thinking of Kazuo calling Amaya as Aya-chan or Maya-chan. Which is better?
Amaya sounds very unusual name for girls in 1940s by the way.
Any special background for this name? And what kanji is used?
I agree with you though I would not surprised if there is a girl named "amaya"
One thing which sound bit strange to me is the way she is called "ama-chan".
calling her "a-cchan" or "maya-chan" seems to be more natural.
So Amaya isn't a usual name at the time? I thought so. I only had online resources to help me out so I suppose the name is quite contemporary. No kanji. The novel is pure english (except for a few words and phrases here and there). I chose Amaya because it was unusual, but mostly, I was looking for a girl's name that starts with 'A'. Any suggestions? Time is of course, the '40s.
Here's a sketch I made of Kazuo and Amaya. A kind of tearful scene here.

chap1_ashita-1.jpg

KAZUO: "Ashita? I am leaving tomorrow?"
Thanks for the replies, guys!
 
Last edited:
I read in the novel Shiokari Pass that 19 was the cut-off age for Japanese girls to marry. Is this true?
Don't know the story, but there is really no "cutoff" age for marriage. What context was that mentioned in?

It used to be said that a girl was "Christmas cake" if she was 25 (related to December 25th), and any woman older than that was sort of an unwanted marriage partner because the cake was then stale. Things change, though, and I think the average age for women getting hitched is about 27. Heck, I married my wife when she was 10 years older than that, and she's not the only one who gets married past 25.

If you were thinking of the MINIMUM age for marriage, I think it is 16 for women.
 
The novel Shiokari Pass is set in the Meiji Period, so it differs widely from modern Japanese idea of what the "marriage deadline" is.

In my mother's days, girls were supposed to marry after finishing school. So, 19 may be a reasonable age to marry.

As undrentide has asked, I also wonder where the name "Amaya" comes from. Honestly speaking, I find it strange when used for a girl's first name. It is most commonly a famly name. Also, Aya-chan is nickname for girls named Aya or Ayako, Maya-chan is nickname of Maya.
 
The novel Shiokari Pass is set in the Meiji Period, so it differs widely from modern Japanese idea of what the "marriage deadline" is.
In my mother's days, girls were supposed to marry after finishing school. So, 19 may be a reasonable age to marry.
As undrentide has asked, I also wonder where the name "Amaya" comes from. Honestly speaking, I find it strange when used for a girl's first name. It is most commonly a famly name. Also, Aya-chan is nickname for girls named Aya or Ayako, Maya-chan is nickname of Maya.

Really? I had the impression that Shiokari Pass was set after the Meiji period, sometime in the 1930s.

Thanks for correcting me about the 19 thing. So, I suppose I'll have to delete that part from my novel. And I guess I'll have my picks now of the names Ayako and Maya. Thanks for this 🙂
 
I checked and confirmed that the incident took place in the last year of the Meiji Period, that's 1911.
Be it in Meiji or the subsequent Taisho or early Showa periods, the "marrying age" for girls still vary widely from what modern Japanese perceive as "marrying age."

Just for your information! 🙂
 
Meiji Yasuda Insurance Company offers the "the 10 most popular name" each year.
http://www.meijiyasuda.co.jp/profile/etc/ranking/year_women/
The above is the list of the most popular names for girls for each birth year.
Here is the list with romaji for girls born in 1924-1935.

窶啀窶唸窶啣窶售ツ:ツ ツ幸ナスqツ、窶「ツカナスqツ、ツ静ァ窶佚」ナスqツ、ヒ?、ナスqツ、窶敕シ窶佚」ナスqツ、ツ青エナスqツ、ツ信ナスqツ、窶「qナスqツ、窶ケvナスqツ、ツ静ηスq
(Sachiko, Ayako, Chiyoko, Aiko, Miyoko, Kiyoko, Nobuko, Toshiko, Hisako, Shizuko)
窶啀窶唸窶啣窶啜ツ:ツ ツ幸ナスqツ、窶「ツカナスqツ、窶敕シ窶佚」ナスqツ、窶ケvナスqツ、窶擢ナスqツ、ヒ?、ナスqツ、ツ信ナスqツ、ヒ彗ナスqツ、ツ静ァ窶佚」ナスqツ、窶敖ェツ重ナスq

(Sachiko, Fumiko, Miyoko, Hisako, Yoshiko, Aiko, Nobuko, Kazuko, Chiyoko, Yaeko)

窶啀窶唸窶啣窶啅ツ:ツ 窶ケvナスqツ、ツ幸ナスqツ、窶敕シ窶佚」ナスqツ、ツ湘?スqツ、窶「ツカナスqツ、ヒ彗ナスqツ、ツ信ナスqツ、ツ静ァ窶佚」ナスqツ、ナ津オナスqツ、窶凖・ナスq

(Hisako, Sachiko, Miyoko, Teruko, Fumiko, Kazuko, Nobuko, Chiyoko, Mitsuko, Sadako)

窶啀窶唸窶啣窶啖ツ:ツ ヒ彗ナスqツ、ツ渉コナスqツ、窶ケvナスqツ、ツ湘?スqツ、ツ幸ナスqツ、窶敕シ窶佚」ナスqツ、ナ津オナスqツ、窶「ツカナスqツ、ツ信ナスqツ、ツ静淒スq

(Kazuko, Akiko, Hisako, Teruko, Sachiko, Miyoko, Mitsuko, Fumiko, Nobuko, Setsuko)

窶啀窶唸窶啣窶啗ツ:ツ ヒ彗ナスqツ、ツ静淒スqツ、ツ幸ナスqツ、窶ケvナスqツ、ツ渉コナスqツ、窶敕シ窶佚」ナスqツ、ツ湘?スqツ、窶弋ナスqツ、窶「ツカナスqツ、ツ信ナスq

(Kazuko, Setusko, Sachiko, Hisako, Akiko, Miyoko, Teruko, Noriko, Fumiko, Nobuko)
窶啀窶唸窶啣窶唸ツ:ツ ヒ彗ナスqツ、ツ幸ナスqツ、窶敕シ窶佚」ナスqツ、窶ケvナスqツ、ツ静淒スqツ、窶「ツカナスqツ、ツ湘?スqツ、ナ津オナスqツ、窶凖・ナスqツ、窶敖ェツ重ナスq

(Kazuko, Sachiko, Miyoko, Hisako, Setsuko, Fumiko, Teruko, Mitsuko, Sadako, Yaeko)

窶啀窶唸窶啌窶唹ツ:ツ ヒ彗ナスqツ、ツ幸ナスqツ、ツ静淒スqツ、窶敕シ窶佚」ナスqツ、ヒ?、ナスqツ、窶ケvナスqツ、窶「ツカナスqツ、ナ津オナスqツ、ツ孝ナスqツ、窶「qナスq

(Kazuko, Sachiko, Setsuko, Miyoko, Aiko, Hisako, Fumiko, Mitsuko, Takako, Toshiko)

窶啀窶唸窶啌窶啀ツ:ツ ヒ彗ナスqツ、ツ幸ナスqツ、ツ静淒スqツ、窶敕シ窶佚」ナスqツ、窶ケvナスqツ、窶「ツカナスqツ、窶敕シ窶冫ナスqツ、窶「qナスqツ、ヒ?、ナスqツ、窶芭ナスq

(Kazuko, Sachiko, Setsuko, Miyoko, Hisako, Fumiko, Michiko, Toshiko, Aiko, Youko)
窶啀窶唸窶啌窶啣ツ:ツ ヒ彗ナスqツ、ツ幸ナスqツ、ツ静淒スqツ、窶「ツカナスqツ、窶敕シ窶佚」ナスqツ、窶ケvナスqツ、ツ弘ナスqツ、窶敕シ窶冫ナスqツ、ヒ?、ナスqツ、ナ津オナスq

(Kazuko, Sachiko, Setsuko, Fumiko, Miyoko, Hisako, Hiroko, Michiko, Aiko, Mitsuko)
窶啀窶唸窶啌窶啌ツ:ツ ヒ彗ナスqツ、ツ幸ナスqツ、ツ静淒スqツ、窶芭ナスqツ、ツ弘ナスqツ、窶ケvナスqツ、窶「ツカナスqツ、窶敕シ窶佚」ナスqツ、窶敕シ窶冫ナスqツ、ツ信ナスq

(Kazuko, Sachiko, Setsuko, Youko, Hiroko, Hisako, Fumiko, Miyoko, Michiko, Nobuko)

窶啀窶唸窶啌窶售ツ:ツ ヒ彗ナスqツ、ツ幸ナスqツ、ツ静淒スqツ、窶ケvナスqツ、ツ弘ナスqツ、窶芭ナスqツ、窶敕シ窶佚」ナスqツ、窶「ツカナスqツ、窶敕シ窶冫ナスqツ、ツ信ナスq

(Kazuko, Sachiko, Setsuko, Hisako, Hiroko, Youko, Miyoko, Fumiko, Michiko, Nobuko)

窶啀窶唸窶啌窶啜ツ:ツ ヒ彗ナスqツ、ツ幸ナスqツ、ツ静淒スqツ、ツ弘ナスqツ、窶ケvナスqツ、窶芭ナスqツ、窶敕シ窶冫ナスqツ、窶ーhナスqツ、窶氾?スqツ、窶敕シ窶佚」ナスq

(Kazuko, Sachiko, Setsuko, Hiroko, Hisako, Youko, Michiko, Eiko, Yoshiko, Miyoko)


As you can see, girls name with -ko is the most common.
There are names without -ko, I think -e was also popular such as:
ツ幸ツ江ツ、ヒ??ツ江ツ、窶擢ナ鍛 (Yukie, Yasue, Yoshie), or those with -yo
窶敕シ窶佚」ツ、窶ーテ?青「ツ、ツ渉ャ窶禿ゥ (Miyo, Kayo, Sayo), or those without those "suffix".

I'm sorry for saying this but your sketch also looks like something from Meiji or Taisho era. If the heroine is around 16-17 years old school girl or just out of school, her hair style would be either in two pidtails, bob cut or decent bun at the back of the head. The traditional hair style is not common among ordinary women at that time.
I found some photos from 1935-1940 which might be interesting for you if you're writing about the people in 1940s.

http://syasinsyuu.cool.ne.jp/people/people/23.jpg
Fashion in 1935 (Kimono)
http://syasinsyuu.cool.ne.jp/people/people/21.jpg
Fashion in 1935 (Dress)
http://syasinsyuu.cool.ne.jp/people/people/22.jpg
Fashion in 1935 (Sailor dress)
http://syasinsyuu.cool.ne.jp/people/people/24.jpg
Fashion in 1936
http://syasinsyuu.cool.ne.jp/people/people/25.jpg
Fashion in 1939
http://syasinsyuu.cool.ne.jp/people/people/27.jpg
http://syasinsyuu.cool.ne.jp/people/people/28.jpg
Fashion in 1940
http://syasinsyuu.cool.ne.jp/people/people/2.jpg
Family outings in 1938
http://syasinsyuu.cool.ne.jp/people/people/17.jpg
Town in 1936
http://syasinsyuu.cool.ne.jp/people/people/3.jpg
School girls in 1935
http://syasinsyuu.cool.ne.jp/people/people/8.jpg
School girls in 1936
 
Meiji Yasuda Insurance Company offers the "the 10 most popular name" each year.
http://www.meijiyasuda.co.jp/profile/etc/ranking/year_women/
The above is the list of the most popular names for girls for each birth year.
Here is the list with romaji for girls born in 1924-1935.

窶啀窶唸窶啣窶售ツ:ツ ツ幸ナスqツ、窶「ツカナスqツ、ツ静ァ窶佚」ナスqツ、ヒ?、ナスqツ、窶敕シ窶佚」ナスqツ、ツ青エナスqツ、ツ信ナスqツ、窶「qナスqツ、窶ケvナスqツ、ツ静ηスq
(Sachiko, Ayako, Chiyoko, Aiko, Miyoko, Kiyoko, Nobuko, Toshiko, Hisako, Shizuko)
窶啀窶唸窶啣窶啜ツ:ツ ツ幸ナスqツ、窶「ツカナスqツ、窶敕シ窶佚」ナスqツ、窶ケvナスqツ、窶擢ナスqツ、ヒ?、ナスqツ、ツ信ナスqツ、ヒ彗ナスqツ、ツ静ァ窶佚」ナスqツ、窶敖ェツ重ナスq

(Sachiko, Fumiko, Miyoko, Hisako, Yoshiko, Aiko, Nobuko, Kazuko, Chiyoko, Yaeko)

窶啀窶唸窶啣窶啅ツ:ツ 窶ケvナスqツ、ツ幸ナスqツ、窶敕シ窶佚」ナスqツ、ツ湘?スqツ、窶「ツカナスqツ、ヒ彗ナスqツ、ツ信ナスqツ、ツ静ァ窶佚」ナスqツ、ナ津オナスqツ、窶凖・ナスq

(Hisako, Sachiko, Miyoko, Teruko, Fumiko, Kazuko, Nobuko, Chiyoko, Mitsuko, Sadako)

窶啀窶唸窶啣窶啖ツ:ツ ヒ彗ナスqツ、ツ渉コナスqツ、窶ケvナスqツ、ツ湘?スqツ、ツ幸ナスqツ、窶敕シ窶佚」ナスqツ、ナ津オナスqツ、窶「ツカナスqツ、ツ信ナスqツ、ツ静淒スq

(Kazuko, Akiko, Hisako, Teruko, Sachiko, Miyoko, Mitsuko, Fumiko, Nobuko, Setsuko)

窶啀窶唸窶啣窶啗ツ:ツ ヒ彗ナスqツ、ツ静淒スqツ、ツ幸ナスqツ、窶ケvナスqツ、ツ渉コナスqツ、窶敕シ窶佚」ナスqツ、ツ湘?スqツ、窶弋ナスqツ、窶「ツカナスqツ、ツ信ナスq

(Kazuko, Setusko, Sachiko, Hisako, Akiko, Miyoko, Teruko, Noriko, Fumiko, Nobuko)
窶啀窶唸窶啣窶唸ツ:ツ ヒ彗ナスqツ、ツ幸ナスqツ、窶敕シ窶佚」ナスqツ、窶ケvナスqツ、ツ静淒スqツ、窶「ツカナスqツ、ツ湘?スqツ、ナ津オナスqツ、窶凖・ナスqツ、窶敖ェツ重ナスq

(Kazuko, Sachiko, Miyoko, Hisako, Setsuko, Fumiko, Teruko, Mitsuko, Sadako, Yaeko)

窶啀窶唸窶啌窶唹ツ:ツ ヒ彗ナスqツ、ツ幸ナスqツ、ツ静淒スqツ、窶敕シ窶佚」ナスqツ、ヒ?、ナスqツ、窶ケvナスqツ、窶「ツカナスqツ、ナ津オナスqツ、ツ孝ナスqツ、窶「qナスq

(Kazuko, Sachiko, Setsuko, Miyoko, Aiko, Hisako, Fumiko, Mitsuko, Takako, Toshiko)

窶啀窶唸窶啌窶啀ツ:ツ ヒ彗ナスqツ、ツ幸ナスqツ、ツ静淒スqツ、窶敕シ窶佚」ナスqツ、窶ケvナスqツ、窶「ツカナスqツ、窶敕シ窶冫ナスqツ、窶「qナスqツ、ヒ?、ナスqツ、窶芭ナスq

(Kazuko, Sachiko, Setsuko, Miyoko, Hisako, Fumiko, Michiko, Toshiko, Aiko, Youko)
窶啀窶唸窶啌窶啣ツ:ツ ヒ彗ナスqツ、ツ幸ナスqツ、ツ静淒スqツ、窶「ツカナスqツ、窶敕シ窶佚」ナスqツ、窶ケvナスqツ、ツ弘ナスqツ、窶敕シ窶冫ナスqツ、ヒ?、ナスqツ、ナ津オナスq

(Kazuko, Sachiko, Setsuko, Fumiko, Miyoko, Hisako, Hiroko, Michiko, Aiko, Mitsuko)
窶啀窶唸窶啌窶啌ツ:ツ ヒ彗ナスqツ、ツ幸ナスqツ、ツ静淒スqツ、窶芭ナスqツ、ツ弘ナスqツ、窶ケvナスqツ、窶「ツカナスqツ、窶敕シ窶佚」ナスqツ、窶敕シ窶冫ナスqツ、ツ信ナスq

(Kazuko, Sachiko, Setsuko, Youko, Hiroko, Hisako, Fumiko, Miyoko, Michiko, Nobuko)

窶啀窶唸窶啌窶售ツ:ツ ヒ彗ナスqツ、ツ幸ナスqツ、ツ静淒スqツ、窶ケvナスqツ、ツ弘ナスqツ、窶芭ナスqツ、窶敕シ窶佚」ナスqツ、窶「ツカナスqツ、窶敕シ窶冫ナスqツ、ツ信ナスq

(Kazuko, Sachiko, Setsuko, Hisako, Hiroko, Youko, Miyoko, Fumiko, Michiko, Nobuko)

窶啀窶唸窶啌窶啜ツ:ツ ヒ彗ナスqツ、ツ幸ナスqツ、ツ静淒スqツ、ツ弘ナスqツ、窶ケvナスqツ、窶芭ナスqツ、窶敕シ窶冫ナスqツ、窶ーhナスqツ、窶氾?スqツ、窶敕シ窶佚」ナスq

(Kazuko, Sachiko, Setsuko, Hiroko, Hisako, Youko, Michiko, Eiko, Yoshiko, Miyoko)


As you can see, girls name with -ko is the most common.
There are names without -ko, I think -e was also popular such as:
ツ幸ツ江ツ、ヒ??ツ江ツ、窶擢ナ鍛 (Yukie, Yasue, Yoshie), or those with -yo
窶敕シ窶佚」ツ、窶ーテ?青「ツ、ツ渉ャ窶禿ゥ (Miyo, Kayo, Sayo), or those without those "suffix".

I'm sorry for saying this but your sketch also looks like something from Meiji or Taisho era. If the heroine is around 16-17 years old school girl or just out of school, her hair style would be either in two pidtails, bob cut or decent bun at the back of the head. The traditional hair style is not common among ordinary women at that time.
I found some photos from 1935-1940 which might be interesting for you if you're writing about the people in 1940s.

http://syasinsyuu.cool.ne.jp/people/people/23.jpg
Fashion in 1935 (Kimono)
http://syasinsyuu.cool.ne.jp/people/people/21.jpg
Fashion in 1935 (Dress)
http://syasinsyuu.cool.ne.jp/people/people/22.jpg
Fashion in 1935 (Sailor dress)
http://syasinsyuu.cool.ne.jp/people/people/24.jpg
Fashion in 1936
http://syasinsyuu.cool.ne.jp/people/people/25.jpg
Fashion in 1939
http://syasinsyuu.cool.ne.jp/people/people/27.jpg
http://syasinsyuu.cool.ne.jp/people/people/28.jpg
Fashion in 1940
http://syasinsyuu.cool.ne.jp/people/people/2.jpg
Family outings in 1938
http://syasinsyuu.cool.ne.jp/people/people/17.jpg
Town in 1936
http://syasinsyuu.cool.ne.jp/people/people/3.jpg
School girls in 1935
http://syasinsyuu.cool.ne.jp/people/people/8.jpg
School girls in 1936

Hey! Thanks for this as well as the pictures!

Actually, I've been thinking of naming her Ayako, so that's Aya-chan, right? And the sketch? Well, the setting is that they were having a formal dinner (for Kazuo's return from his boarding school in Tokyo) and after some blah-blahs, Amaya (Ayako) runs out in tears, Kazuo goes after her, and they meet that other guy. :) So...er...is it all right to maintain the hairstyle? Or should I go with the bun (like the one in Hanako's in the movie Letters from Iwo Jima?)?

Arigato mga kaibigan (friends)! 🙂
 
Hey! Thanks for this as well as the pictures!

Actually, I've been thinking of naming her Ayako, so that's Aya-chan, right? And the sketch? Well, the setting is that they were having a formal dinner (for Kazuo's return from his boarding school in Tokyo) and after some blah-blahs, Amaya (Ayako) runs out in tears, Kazuo goes after her, and they meet that other guy. :) So...er...is it all right to maintain the hairstyle? Or should I go with the bun (like the one in Hanako's in the movie Letters from Iwo Jima?)?

Douitashimashite. You're welcome. :)
I think Ayako is a good choice.

As for the hairstyle, I'm afraid that you'd better switch to something else, because the one in your sketch does not make Ayako look like an ordinary young woman but someone from entertainment business.
It is not everyday's hair style, perhaps some brides may wear her hair in such an elaborated style, but yet not for everyone. And there was an air to frown on any "luxury", the government encouraged to be very modest and humble because Japan was running out of almost everything.
I haven't seen the film but if it is something similar to those women in the photos below (those on the left), it should be appropriate for a young woman in 1940s.
http://syasinsyuu.cool.ne.jp/people/people/23.jpg
 
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