An article on CNN about how Japan asked that their names be written in the West as they do with the family name first and the given name second. Scholars here already do that but almost no media or official places like governments are doing that. So the prime minister of Japan is still Shinzo Abe here and Abe Shinzo there.
Don't know if the publisher's interested but there's a second edition of Crooked Cucumber in the works. Most names in it are done in the Western Style. Shunryu Suzuki here and Suzuki Shunryu there. Some names in the book though are done the Japanese way. I initially thought why not change it the way they want out of respect. But it would take some time to make sure it's all correct and it might be confusing as it's so uncommon. We might do the opposite and make the few that are in the Japanese order conform to the Western style which has held since the early Meiji era (from 1868). Stay tuned.
