Passing names

Koreans and Chinese in Kawasaki, 1971

By William Wetherall

First posted 28 March 2006
Last updated 28 March 2006


The following table shows data compiled in early 1971 on alias registration by aliens registered in Kawasaki.

The figures echo the differences seen between Koreans and Chinese, as seen in the 1959 counts. But they also show a split in the Korean ranks.

The 1971 data reveal that while only 14 percent of Kawasaki Chinese had registered passing names, some 58 percent of the Kankoku (Republic of Korea) nationals, but only 42 percent of the legacy Chosen national Koreans, had registered alternative names.

Not only do Koreans appear to be considerably less inclined than Chinese to use their primary legal names socially, but ROK-affiliated Koreans are much less likely than Chosen-affiliated Koreans to use their Korean register names.

Differences in levels of "racial pride"

From impressions I have gotten from people I have known on both sides of the Kankoku/Chosen divide, Koreans who have kept their Chosen affiliation rather than become ROK nationals are more likely to go to schools supported by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, where they are exposed to heavy doses of "pride in race" (minzoku no hokori).

DPRK-oriented Korean organizations in Japan have generally urged Koreans in Japan to use their Korean register names, and not to naturalize. ROK-oriented organizations, however, have generally not gone out of their way to stress "ethnic maintenance" (minzoku no iji) in the form of the use of Korean register names, and have been much more sympathetic toward the idea of becoming Japanese.


Aliens with registered aliases in Kawasaki, 1971
All aliens, and Koreans and Chinese, by district of registration
Design and computations by William Wetherall, March 2006
All aliens Kankoku Krns Chosen Krns Chinese
District Total Alias Total Alias Total Alias Total Alias
Honcho 1,924 951 916 576 802 354 168 20
Daishi 1,334 638 621 275 684 357 25 6
Tajima 3,391 1,678 1,567 956 1,791 718 16 4
Miyuki 620 273 215 132 370 135 20 4
Nakahara 1,421 693 594 394 639 279 126 12
Takatsu 836 333 316 167 442 156 37 8
Inada 504 150 161 55 216 88 57 7
Total 10,030 4,716 4,390 2,555 4,944 2,087 449 61
Percent 100 47 100 58 100 42 100 14
Alias registered
No Yes Total Percent Yates Chi-square
Kankoku 1,835 2,555 4,390 44 N = 9,334
Chosen 2,857 2,087 4,944 49 YCs = 237.11
Koreans 4,692 4,642 9,334 93 p<.001
Chinese 388 61 449 4
Others 234 13 247 2
All aliens 5,314 4,716 10,030 100
Source Primary data compiled and tallied by a researcher I am unable to name.
Dated copy of original hand-written compilation sheets and tallies on file.