Gunawan in Japanese

Gunawan is written グナワン in katakana. Katakana is the script Japanese people use for foreign names, so this is how Gunawan would appear on a Japanese ID card, a café cup or a name tag.

Our top pick is 宮奈和 (Gunawa). 宮 means “shrine”, 奈 means “nara” and 和 means “harmony”. Other good options are 弘南和 (Gunawa) and 宮南環 (Gunawa).

Not as a traditional name. Japanese people write foreign names in katakana, so 宮奈和 is a creative kanji spelling (called ateji), chosen for its sounds and meanings. Japanese readers will understand what each character means, and many will enjoy the idea behind it.

宮奈和 has 26 strokes in total (宮: 10, 奈: 8, 和: 8). It takes some practice to write neatly, so look up the stroke order before trying it with a brush.

Each character in 宮奈和 has a positive meaning, so it is a reasonable choice. Keep in mind that Japanese people will read it as the meaning of the characters, not instantly as “Gunawan”. If you want your name to be recognized, katakana (グナワン) is clearer. Either way, ask a native speaker to check the final design.