Can I use 西 as my last name


My last name/surname is West. Can I just write it as the kanji 西 _nishi_? It
means West but it's also a last name. If not, how do you write West in
katakana?




Depends on what you mean by "use".

In any legal or formal circumstances, **absolutely no chance**. Your family
name will be 「ウエスト」 or 「ウェスト」 with a small 「ェ」.

<https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%AB%E3%83%8B%E3%82%A8%E3%83%BB%E3%82%A6%E3%82%A7%E3%82%B9%E3%83%88>

If you ever become a Japanese citizen, however, you will be permitted to
change your name from 「ウエスト」 to 「西」 if that is what you still desire then.

If you are just visiting Japan and want to use the family name 「西」 **among
your friends** while there, then basically no one would stop you from doing
that. **It would be understood as a kind of humor more than anything**. In
that case, naturally, your foreign resident card will **NOT** say your name is
「西」.

