Slightly different name change question

As I stated before, my name is Audrey, I want to continue using this name in America but I plan to move to Japan in a few years. My question is, I plan to get naturalized, and I�fve heard that part of the process is taking on a �gJapanese�h name, which is often just the Japanese form of your name. However, I just really don�ft like the pronunciation of my name in Japanese. I�fd prefer to change it to a Japanese name I�fve personally always been very fond of, Kaori. If I legally change my name to Kaori, can I still go by Audrey in America? Do you think my family will accept me changing it legally, especially my parents since they named me? (I�fm their first child and really worried about their reaction if I say I want to change my name when i move there.)

Hi Audrey,

Unless you already have a strong familial connection (aka a Japanese parent or have lived in Japan previously for 10 consecutive years) It's going to be a while once you get to Japan before you can even apply to be naturalized. At that point, your family will have hopefully come to accept the idea that you will be living in Japan permanently now and that you plan to become a Japanese citizen. I would think that would be a bigger adjustment than your name. I know as a parent that would certainly be for me and naming my child was super important. But knowing my child had moved to another country and became a citizen of that country would be a much much bigger issue than the name change. So I honestly wouldn't even worry about the name change until you are actually applying to be naturalized and stand a good chance of having your application approved. Assuming you become naturalized and renounce your US Citizenship, during the process you would be able to legally change your name to Kaori. You can ask friends and family to use whatever name you prefer when you visit the USA. There are plenty of people legally named "Madison" in the USA, but their family may call them "Maddy" instead.

If you want to start going by Kaori as soon as you arrive in Japan, I am sure you can ask your friends to use that name. Your job and all official paperwork will still be in your current name though.

I hope this helps!

People change their names all the time - it is a simple legal process. Further, there "convention" when people get married to take spouses names - legally accepted, but actually only a convention. So don't get too hung up about that. I know a lot of people that use one name for everything (including my mother), but legally their name is something quite different.

Recently I met a local resident that has been naturalized - their name is certainly not Japanese (the presence of an "L" attests to that), and they do not seem to need to adopt something different. Maybe they have something different on their registration. Even on something like my officially registered seal there was no need to adopt a Japanese name - and my understanding of your coming from overseas it would be in kana not hiragana anyway (and that marks a difference).

But the time you have been here long enough to seek citizenship, I expect you will have discovered a correct answer, rather than the musings of an internet forum.

People change their names all the time - it is a simple legal process.

Generally it is difficult for you as a Japanese national
to change the legal name, especially the family name.
The fact that you by yourself decide your name to be used after naturalization
may work against you when you try to change it.

If I legally change my name to Kaori, can I still go by Audrey in America?

Under the U.S. law, you probably still can go by Audrey.

Japan has been adopting for decades the policy of single nationality.
Under the Japanese law, after you get naturalized,
basically you cannot be a U.S.-and-Japanese national;
while you behave as a Japanese national,
you do not have merits or demerits which are peculiar to a non-Japanese national,
and vice versa.

Regardless of what your legal name becomes, you will always be Audrey to your family and American friends. Will your parents be upset? Maybe at first, but they will get over it. You will still be, and always will be, you.

Generally it is difficult for you as a Japanese national to change the legal name,
I understand that is the case for a Japanese national, but the OP is not a Japanese national (yet). So a change for them currently would not be under the Japan system.

My experience/knowledge with the process in other countries is that it is quite easy.