Japan foreign minister says, call our leader ‘Abe Shinzo not Shinzo Abe’

Ahead of a series of important international events in Japan, including a visit from US President Donald Trump this weekend, Japan's foreign minister has issued a request to the English-speaking world: Call our prime minister Abe Shinzo, not Shinzo Abe.

In Japanese, people are referred to by their family name first, followed by a given name, the same pattern as used by Chinese and Korean.

"The new Reiwa era was ushered in and we are hosting the Group of 20 summit. As many news organisations write Chinese President Xi Jinping and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, it is desirable for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's name to be written in a similar manner," said foreign minister Taro Kono at a news conference Tuesday, according to the Mainichi Shimbun.

For almost a century and a half, however, Japanese names have been written in English the opposite way round, with the given name first. This practice was adopted during the Meiji Era (October 1868 to July 1912) as a part of broader attempts at internationalization.

But this system has long been used inconsistently. As far back as 1986, the government-funded Japan Foundation had decided to use the family-name-first format in its English-language publications, and historical works or academic papers often did too.

In his remarks Tuesday, Kono referred to a 2000 report by the education ministry's National Language Council that had recommended the use of the Japanese format. That report didn't change things at the time, but as the foreign minister noted, it is now a new era.

The arrival of a new emperor has resulted in a new era, named "Reiwa" for two characters that symbolise auspiciousness and harmony. Japan is hosting a number of major events at the start of this period, including the G-20 summit of world leaders next month and the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Trump is arriving in Japan on Saturday for a state visit, where he will be the first foreign leader to meet with Japan's new Emperor Naruhito. The US leader has formed an unusually close bond to Abe - even referring to him as "Prime Minister Shinzo" in 2017.

It is unclear whether the US government will conform to Kono's request. It also remains unclear whether the entire Japanese government is behind the idea.