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In a move that’s turning heads both in Japan and abroad, the Japanese government is reportedly cracking down on so-called “shiny” names, unconventional names often inspired by pop culture references like “Pikachu” or “Nike” given to newborns. While some see the crackdown as a necessary step to preserve cultural norms, others view it as a troubling overreach into personal identity.

College of Arts and Science Assistant Teaching Professor Darwin H. Tsen, an expert in Japanese culture, sees the decision as part of a broader cultural pattern.

“Japanese society often allows for private indulgences, whether in art, food or fashion, until tradition reasserts itself through regulation,” Tsen says. “Names, however, are more than just personal choices. They’re part of what Michel Foucault called ‘biopower,’ which are tools the state uses to track and manage its population.”

The crackdown, Tsen says, is not entirely surprising. But it is disappointing. “There could have been a middle ground,” he adds. “A system that evaluates names individually, rather than banning creativity outright.”

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