About Sho's Name in Kanji

[princessayra.livejournal.com]

I noticed that early on in his career, Sho's surname is written using the character 桜 unlike in the recent years where he's using 櫻 (Both are characters for Sakura - cherry blossoms). I noticed this when I began watching some of their old shows but there were instances when the latter was also used. I've also seen in his 2008.04.10 appearance in Hanamaru Cafe wherein he showed a photo of a rugby ball with his name written on it that the Kanji character used was this one - 桜. Since the photo was during his school days I'm assuming that it must be how his real name is written.

Does anyone of you have any idea about this change? I actually have a hunch but I'd like to hear more information first.

Thank you very much in advance.

PS: I'm sorry if the question might sound nitpicky. I'm just a bit curious. :D

EDIT:
Everyone, thank you very much for sharing all those information. Some of the answers given were also my guesses. I'm so happy. :D The fandom is just amazing and I love being a part of it.

Happy 14th Geinoukai Anniversary, Sho! <3

Comments

[kyoticle.livejournal.com]

hm intresting question. From the little basic japanese i know is, that both are the same.

櫻 is the traditional chinese writing of that kanji, while 桜 must be a "japanized" easier version of the same kanji. I know that in mangas often this 桜 is used for "Sakura", so it is easier to read for the younger readers. If i remember correctly, that rugby ball was of his elementary or middle shcool times right?
Maybe that's also the reason why he write it like this? Maybe it is for his classmates to read it easier?

I have also seen the name Sakurai a few times now and i think the really correct form should be 櫻.Since it is also the traditional way to write it.

But these are only my guesses ^^° correct me if I'm wrong.

[kamikaze-bunny.livejournal.com]

I think 桜 is in simplified Chinese. Kanji uses a mix of traditional and simplified characters.

For example 学　is simplified version of 學 but only the first way is used in Japanese writing. However, with "long,"　長 is traditional and 长 is its simplified counterpart but only the traditional version is used in kanji.

According the kanji dictionary, neither way is incorrect and they mean the exact same thing although I think that kanji characters don't usually have two variations like that but I'm sure there are a exceptions, as with "sakura."

I hoped that made sense lol.

[kyoticle.livejournal.com]

since I'm chinese i know of this :D
yeah, japanese use some of simplified characters, but really not a lot (or as long as i see it ^__^)
as for 桜 , there isn't this version of 櫻 in chinese. Chiense only use the 櫻.

I think sakura should only be a exception as you said in the japanese .__. normally the chinese is considered as simplified

[kamikaze-bunny.livejournal.com]

I know how to write in traditional Chinese but I'm not familiar with simplified (except for the kanji I've learned that use it). But 桜 came up when i was using simplified Chinese on my tool bar so I assumed it was simplified lol.

I actually tried to learn simplified a little while ago and it was too difficult for me because I kept defaulting to traditional Chinese!

[kyoticle.livejournal.com]

oh okay I'm learning the simplified characters XD i can't write traditionals but i can read them without any problems <3

i remember that i read this 桜 first in Card Captor Sakura Manga some years ago and i asked my mum if it is a chinese character xD and she said she never seen something like this. When i look it up in my dictionary it isn't there too ^ ^

[(Anonymous)]

the simplified chinese of the word is 樱, it's similar to the traditional chinese 櫻, but there's a tiny bit of difference XP

[kyoticle.livejournal.com]

omg there is THIS version xDD okay never see this, but seems to be logic XDD then it is now 3 kanjis which i still write in the traditional way XD!

[booksandsarcasm.livejournal.com]

xD Both have it's benefits. Though my mom got irritated when the language camp I went to tried to teach simplified only. xD So I said I'd learn them both. tbh I like traditional better though it's more difficult.

[wblueskyw.livejournal.com]

I remember reading on wikipedia I think, that when he first joined he wrote 桜 because it was more simple, but later he corrected it to 櫻 (which is also his offical name on IDs). But nowadays the media still mix it up sometimes (just like NewS/NEWS).

[glos10.livejournal.com]

On one of the last shukudai episode, he writes it like this
http://i447.photobucket.com/albums/qq196/bakaglos/Immagine1-10.png
dunno if it helps, just popped up in my mind XD
^^

[corlee1289.livejournal.com]

OMG!!

I died laughing when he did that! <3

[mischi-14.livejournal.com]

writing his one name on a tombstone.　=D sho-classic. XD back to the topic though, he writes sakura as 櫻, based on the picture.

[da-arkphyre.livejournal.com]

I never knew that Sho changed how he wrote his name. But looking it up on an online dictionary, it says that 櫻 is an outdated kanji. I'm guessing that that might have gone on the outdated list recently if there's still a lot of change-ups going on.

[sapah-fu.livejournal.com]

oh wow, I never even noticed... whenever I see it written with 桜, I just assume it's wrong.

[mae-ai.livejournal.com]

same here ^_^; lol

[hontowa.livejournal.com]

Like someone said above, he wrote the simplified form 桜 on his application, so that's what they used for several years. Eventually he changed it to the traditional kanji 櫻, which is his official name. I want to say I read about this in a fanclub pamphlet Q&A, but I can't remember which one =/

The media often mix up the name, or choose to use the simplified character because it's easier. Another JE member like this is Kusanagi from SMAP - the actual character for the "nagi" in his last name is rare and doesn't always come up easily when you try to type it, so the media often writes the "nagi" in hiragana.

[(Anonymous)]

its cuz 桜is the new verion of 櫻

[musosuru.livejournal.com]

i always wondered about that too ^^; because i wrote the simplified in my pic of him and now i feel stupid for 'writing it wrong' -_- its nice to know some reasons for changing it ^_^

[(Anonymous)]

I'm pretty sure the correct way of writing his name is 櫻井翔　with the　櫻　version of sakura. I think in the early years of Arashi various staff-san misspelled poor Sho's name for a while. XD

[love-kat-tun.livejournal.com]

I remember that in the early arashi days sho was lazy and used 桜 , because it has lesser strokes , then later he realised the staffs are all using 桜 instead of 櫻 which is the correct version , then he changed it back to 櫻.
but in this case I think it's just a careless mistake by the staff

[solipsisticrian.livejournal.com]

Hahaha.. too lazy to write his own name right. That's Sho.

[love-kat-tun.livejournal.com]

yeah
haha...

[solipsisticrian.livejournal.com]

Oh no no no. No such thing a sounding nitpicky here. Nothing is overlooked here in Arashifandom. :) :)

[eeekia.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you brought this up because I was wondering the same thing! Whenever I see Sho's name somewhere, I would be wondering which is the correct version...since I like to doodle their names on my school notes =p
Now I finally have an idea why his name seems to vary hahha

[conflict]

Wow, I've been wondering that too, thanks for making this post :')

[conflict]

What the fuck.

[haniruz.livejournal.com]

im sorry,this is might sound stupid.."ninomiya kazuya"?? is it a typo error or another nino's name that i don't even know..sorry if this sounds so stupid..

[booksandsarcasm.livejournal.com]

*admires*

[princessayra.livejournal.com]

I even read somewhere that Kobayashi Mao read Nino's name as such (Ninomiya Kazuya)in News ZERO. I wonder if it's true though since I haven't seen a video of it.

[fox-silly.livejournal.com]

This two words both have the same meaning and actually just one word, However, u know that Kanji in Japan also related to Chinese. This two in Chinese one is old writing and one is new writing