144 Shadowings 



explanation would occupy at least fifty pages. 

 But, stated in the briefest possible way, the rule 

 is that the first or " head-character " of a personal 

 name should be made to " accord " (in the Chi- 

 nese philosophic sense) with the supposed Sei, or 

 astrologically-determined nature, of the person to 

 whom the name is given ; the required accord- 

 ance being decided, not by the meaning, but by 

 the sound of the Chinese written character. 

 Some vague idea of the difficulties of the sub- 

 ject may be obtained from the accompanying 

 table. (Page 143.) 



Ill 



FOR examples of contemporary aristocratic 

 names I consulted the reports of the Kwa^pku- 

 Jogakho (Peeresses' School), published between 

 the nineteenth and twenty -seventh years of Meiji 

 (1886-1895). The Kwazoku-Jogakko admits 

 other students besides daughters of the nobility ; 

 but for present purposes the names of the latter 

 only to the number of one hundred and forty- 

 seven have been selected. 



It will be observed that names of three or 

 more syllables are rare among these, and also 



