How names are written in Japanese
Foreign names in Japanese are written in katakana, by sound. Nepali names fit well, because Nepali syllables are close to Japanese ones:
- Each syllable becomes one or two katakana: Bi-pin becomes ビピン, Su-man スマン.
- Only n can end a syllable (ン). Other final sounds take a vowel: Ram becomes ラム, Sharma シャルマ.
- Doubled consonants become a small ッ: Bhatta becomes バッタ.
- Long vowels take a dash: Deepak becomes ディーパク, Pooja プージャ.
- Breathy sounds merge: bh is b and th is t (Thapa タパ).
The full name is written with a dot between the parts: ビピン・シャルマ. Spell your name the way it is said for the best result.
Where you will use it
Official documents in Japan use your passport name, but your name in katakana is asked for on many forms, appears on name tags, and is how your workplace will write it. Being able to read and write it is one of the first things to learn before you go.