Many Indonesians Named after Japanese Anime Characters

Jakarta, Aug. 8 (Jiji Press)–A number of Indonesians have names inspired by Japanese manga and anime, with 16 people, for example, confirmed to be named “Doraemon,” the name of an earless robotic cat and a lead character of the blockbuster anime series with the same title, it has been learned. An Indonesian official in charge of resident registry posted on social media Wednesday that Japanese pop culture has played a role in inspiring the naming of Indonesian citizens. Many names come from important characters of globally popular Japanese manga and anime works, such as “Nobita,” another key figure in Doraemon, shared by 181 people. The most popular are “Uzumaki” and “Naruto,” from “Naruto Uzumaki,” the protagonist of ninja-themed manga and anime series “Naruto.” A total of 347 people have the name Uzumaki or Naruto. Meanwhile, 79 Indonesians are named “D. Luffy,” the main figure of the “One Piece” pirate adventure manga and anime series. According to local media, naming trends change over time, and young people do not necessarily think it is important to give traditional Indonesian names to their children. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]