🔮 Japanese Name Fortune (姓名判断・五格)

Seimei handan (姓名判断, "name judgement") is a traditional Japanese form of fortune telling that reads a person luck from the stroke count (画数, kakusu) of the kanji in their name. It is loosely based on the Chinese five-grid (五格) method, which divides the full name into five numerical "grids" - Heaven, Person, Earth, Outside, and Total (天格, 人格, 地格, 外格, 総格) - and looks up each grid total in a table of lucky and unlucky numbers.

People consult seimei handan when naming a baby, choosing a pen name, or just for curiosity - it is treated much like horoscopes in the West. This Japanese name fortune tool computes the five grids from the stroke counts of the kanji you enter and reports the traditional auspiciousness of each one. It is purely for entertainment and cultural interest; it has no scientific basis. If you are still choosing a name, the Japanese name generator can suggest candidates, and the kanji reading lookup can confirm their readings.

Refer to the table below for the five grids and how each is computed from the name parts:

The tool first looks up the stroke count of every kanji in the surname and given name from an embedded dictionary. It then forms the five grids using the standard rules: Heaven = sum of all surname strokes; Person = last character of the surname + first character of the given name; Earth = sum of all given-name strokes; Outside = first character of the surname + last character of the given name; Total = sum of every stroke in the whole name. Each grid total is then reduced modulo 80 and matched against the traditional lucky/unlucky number table.

The table below shows how the traditional number table classifies each remainder:

Because the reading depends entirely on stroke counts, two visually identical names written with variant kanji can score differently - which is one reason parents consult stroke tables when naming a child. To look up an individual kanji count, the tool uses its embedded dictionary; for the readings of those kanji, use the kanji reading lookup, and to turn the numbers into kanji, try the kanji numerals converter.

1. Enter the surname (姓) and given name (名) in kanji.
2. Click Tell My Fortune to look up each kanji stroke count.
3. Read the five grids - Heaven, Person, Earth, Outside, Total - and their verdicts.
4. Compare alternative kanji if you are choosing a name.
5. Remember the result is for fun and has no scientific basis.

Is seimei handan scientifically valid?

No. It is a traditional form of fortune telling based on kanji stroke counts, with no scientific evidence behind it. Treat the results as entertainment, like a horoscope.

How are the stroke counts determined?

The tool looks up each kanji in an embedded dictionary of standard Japanese stroke counts. Counts follow the Japanese (JIS) standard, which can differ slightly from Chinese references for some characters.

Why might the same name score differently elsewhere?

Different schools of seimei handan use slightly different grid formulas and lucky-number tables, and some count variant or simplified characters differently. This tool follows the common five-grid convention.

What if a kanji is not in the dictionary?

The tool reports the missing character so you can look up its stroke count manually and add it. Coverage focuses on the jōyō kanji used in everyday names.

Can it predict my future or compatibility?

No, and neither can any name-based system. The five-grid reading is a cultural curiosity, not a predictor of real events, relationships, or success.

Should I rename myself based on the result?

Absolutely not. A name is far more than its stroke count. Use the tool for fun and cultural interest, and never make a personal or legal decision based on a fortune reading.

Seimei handan is entertainment, not science - take the verdicts lightly and never let them drive a real decision about a child or a partner. The five-grid method is only one of many name-reading schools; some weigh the yin-yang balance of odd and even stroke counts, others focus on the Total grid alone. Stroke counts can differ between Japanese and Chinese references because of simplified characters, so stick to a Japanese dictionary for Japanese names. A name that scores "unlucky" can still be wonderful - many famous and successful people have inauspicious grids. For fun, compare a few candidate names with the Japanese name generator before deciding.