Japanese names

I have had a great interest in the names of Japanese people for years, in fact, since meeting my friend Sayaka in high school the sound of their names has always been fascinating. The Japanese, like most people, have meanings behind each name, though it is often not very clear as they come from odd readings of obscure Chinese characters. Each name often embodies some sort of quality the parents want for their children. Most often they have the obvious meanings: Esteem excellence, Firm and Gentle, Powerful Warrior, Faces the Sun, Generous and Prosperous, Great Command, Sweet Fragrance and other such hopes of parents. The meanings I do not find so interesting it is the sound of the names here is a list of great names Japanese people have, many of these are students and friends others just gleaned from life here on the island...

• Aina 愛菜
• Airi 愛莉
• Yoshi 義
• Hikari 光
• Yoshiko 芳子
• Keiko 慶子
• Kiku 菊
• Hiroshi 寛
• Izumi 泉
• Kazuki 和希
• Honoka 和花
• Yoshiro 義郎
• Haruki 晴輝
• Haruna 春菜
• Akiko 秋子
• Yukiko 雪子
• Shojiro 宗次郎
• Hideyoshi 秀良
• Hideki 秀樹
• Akira 明
• Daiki 大輝
• Sayuri 小百合
• Midori 緑
• Takeshi 武
• Shinta 新太
• Wakana 和奏
• Tomoko 智子
• Natsumi 夏美
• Takahiro 貴大
• Shizuka 静夏
• Taichi 太一
• Ryuu 龍
• Sakura 桜
• Ayaka 彩花
• Yuki 由貴
• Haruki 晴輝
• Manami 愛美
• Kiyoko 清子
• Sayaka 沙耶香
• Yukari 友加里
• Kaito 海翔
• Kanon 花音
• Kasumi 霞