Japanese names

I'm a fiction writer working on a story about the jellyfish problem in Japan and i' m having probems with Japanese names.I've read that Japanese surnames are normally first, but with my exposure to Japanese names in US it seems the other way around. Would Akihiko Yamamoto be an appropriate name for a middle aged fisherman in Japan? Would his friends call him Aki? Would it be appropriate for the fisherman on the boat (Akihiko is the captain) to call him Yamamoto-san? Other names I have come up with for the fishermen are Makoto, Ken, Shinjiro, Takaya and Heizo. Are these all first names? And are Nakamura, Yamamoto Kobayashi, Saitou surnames? Thanks Mike Groves

Akihiko Yamamoto be an appropriate name for a middle aged fisherman in Japan?
Depends on the background to the story (what era?) but for modern-day, yes.

Would his friends call him Aki?
His buddies since school might. Otherwise another possible nickname would be something like "Yama-san" or "Yama-chan." Note that not all nicknames derive from first names :)

Would it be appropriate for the fisherman on the boat (Akihiko is the captain) to call him Yamamoto-san?
No, they would call him "Sencho" (captain) or "Yamamoto Sencho" (Captain Yamamoto). You could make him a character who does not like to be called by the title, of course, and in that case it would be "Yamamoto-san."

Other names I have come up with for the fishermen are Makoto, Ken, Shinjiro, Takaya and Heizo. Are these all first names?
Yes. Except that I have never heard of "Takaya" but maybe that's just me.

And are Nakamura, Yamamoto, Kobayashi, Saitou surnames?
Yes.

If they live in the US and write their names embedded in English, of course they will write their first name first, followed by family name (in the American way).

As AK said, I felt that something was wrong with "Takaya" at first sight, but it's OK as male name.
I can imagine it in Kanji like �F��, ���� or something.
Although it's a bit rare name but not funny or strange.
BTW, "Takashi" is more common name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takashi

And Heizo is old-fashioned name, a bit rare especially for young today, though he is actually named.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heiz%C5%8D_Takenaka

YOU SHOULD NAME THEM ACCORDING TO THE WAY THEY LOOK.