What do Japanese signatures look like?


Since you often need to write your signature fast it should be something
short. I wonder which script, kana or kanji, natives use for writing their
signature (in most cases)?




Talking about _writing_ signatures rather than using seals, the answer is that
they vary, and by no small degree.

Firstly, it's worth noting that not all Japanese have Kanji names. In more
recent times, some people (usually girls) are given names purely in kana, and
almost always hiragana, sometimes even where the kanji that usually write it
are obvious. This is to say that the name on their birth certificate will be
in hiragana.

The Japanese government requires that all names be either in kanji or kana,
but kana names aren't that common, and are limited almost entirely to women.

**Kanji**

The most common is generally kanji. This is the most common way Japanese
people write their name, and so it follows logically that signatures write
like this. Below are some examples:

![Male Baseballer](https://i.stack.imgur.com/1Cpz4.jpg) ![Another Male
Baseballer](https://i.stack.imgur.com/VL94h.jpg) ![Female
Seiyuu](https://i.stack.imgur.com/8DnlY.jpg)

**Kana**

I can't find any examples of katakana signatures in isolation. It's sometimes
used to annotate sounds, but wouldn't be used in legal documents, and as it
stands few if any names are written in katakana for native Japanese. Hiragana
is used, though more so amongst women, and even more in arts such for
actresses and seiyuu:

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Bb7T4.jpg) ![enter
image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/jM1WW.jpg)

Though the last one actually has the same artist with a kanji signature:

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Nenzh.jpg)

**Romaji using Hepburn**

A sign of increasing westernization, and of status, though again not as common
as kanji, or hiragana. The image below is an example of this.

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/9QZnb.jpg)

**Summary**

Overall, kanji is definitely the most common, followed by hiragana. Katakana
is rare, other than sometimes annotating kanji readings, and finally the
small, but increasing number of people who write using romaji. All give off a
very different feel, and you may see more of some types in certain occupations
than others, especially in arts.




Talking about _writing_ signatures rather than using seals, the answer is that
they vary, and by no small degree.

Firstly, it's worth noting that not all Japanese have Kanji names. In more
recent times, some people (usually girls) are given names purely in kana, and
almost always hiragana, sometimes even where the kanji that usually write it
are obvious. This is to say that the name on their birth certificate will be
in hiragana.

The Japanese government requires that all names be either in kanji or kana,
but kana names aren't that common, and are limited almost entirely to women.

**Kanji**

The most common is generally kanji. This is the most common way Japanese
people write their name, and so it follows logically that signatures write
like this. Below are some examples:

![Male Baseballer](https://i.stack.imgur.com/1Cpz4.jpg) ![Another Male
Baseballer](https://i.stack.imgur.com/VL94h.jpg) ![Female
Seiyuu](https://i.stack.imgur.com/8DnlY.jpg)

**Kana**

I can't find any examples of katakana signatures in isolation. It's sometimes
used to annotate sounds, but wouldn't be used in legal documents, and as it
stands few if any names are written in katakana for native Japanese. Hiragana
is used, though more so amongst women, and even more in arts such for
actresses and seiyuu:

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Bb7T4.jpg) ![enter
image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/jM1WW.jpg)

Though the last one actually has the same artist with a kanji signature:

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Nenzh.jpg)

**Romaji using Hepburn**

A sign of increasing westernization, and of status, though again not as common
as kanji, or hiragana. The image below is an example of this.

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/9QZnb.jpg)

**Summary**

Overall, kanji is definitely the most common, followed by hiragana. Katakana
is rare, other than sometimes annotating kanji readings, and finally the
small, but increasing number of people who write using romaji. All give off a
very different feel, and you may see more of some types in certain occupations
than others, especially in arts.

