Seimei Handan Calculator (姓名判断)
Enter a Japanese family name and given name in kanji to calculate the traditional five-pillar stroke-count fortune. Below, learn how each pillar is calculated with a worked example.
UpdatedThe Five Pillars of Seimei Handan
Seimei Handan adds up kanji stroke counts into five totals, called the five pillars (五格, gokaku). Here is the calculation for the example name 田中太郎 (Tanaka Tarō):
| Pillar | Calculation | Example | Result | Traditionally governs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tenkaku (天格)Heaven | Family name strokes | 田 5 + 中 4 = 9 | Growth potential | Ancestry and family heritage |
| Jinkaku (人格)Person | Last kanji of family name + first kanji of given name | 中 4 + 太 4 = 8 | 吉 Kichi (good fortune) | Core personality and working life |
| Chikaku (地格)Earth | Given name strokes | 太 4 + 郎 9 = 13 | 大吉 Dai-kichi (great fortune) | Childhood and inner nature |
| Gaikaku (外格)Outer | Total − Person | 22 − 8 = 14 | 中吉 Chū-kichi (moderate fortune) | Relationships and social life |
| Soukaku (総格)Total | All strokes in the full name | 9 + 13 = 22 | Growth potential | Overall life path, especially later life |
Lucky Stroke Numbers
Each total is reduced to the traditional cycle of 1–81 and looked up in a fortune table. This calculator uses the following ratings:
- 大吉 Dai-kichi (great fortune): 1, 3, 5, 6, 11, 13, 15, 16, 21, 23, 24, 31, 32, 33, 41, 45, 47, 52, 61, 63, 65, 67, 81
- 吉 Kichi (good fortune): 7, 8, 17, 18, 25, 29, 35, 37, 39, 48, 57, 58, 68
- 中吉 Chū-kichi (moderate fortune): 2, 14, 27, 30, 38, 40, 42, 51, 53, 55, 60, 71, 73, 75
Other numbers are shown as "growth potential". Seimei Handan is a cultural tradition shared for interest, not a prediction.
How to Count the Strokes
Everything depends on the stroke count (画数, kakusū) of each character, so count carefully:
- Use the modern form. This calculator counts the shinjitai (新字体) forms taught in Japanese schools today: 国 is 8 strokes, 気 is 6.
- Some schools use the old forms instead. In kyūjitai (旧字体), 国 is written 國 (11 strokes) and 気 is 氣 (10). That is the single biggest reason two Seimei Handan sites disagree about the same name.
- Radicals can be counted by their parent character. Traditional practice counts 氵 as 4 (from 水, water), 艹 as 6 (from 艸, grass) and 忄 as 4 (from 心, heart). This calculator uses the plain written stroke count instead.
- Kana count too. A name written in hiragana or katakana is counted by the strokes of each kana, and a dakuten (゛) adds 2.
- One-character names add a "spirit stroke". Many schools add a phantom stroke (霊数, reisū) to a single-character surname or given name so that every pillar has a value. Schools differ on whether to apply it, so compare results before trusting one.
Reading Your Result
Each pillar is judged on its own, and no single number decides a name. A common reading is that Jinkaku describes the person others meet, Chikaku the childhood foundation, Gaikaku relationships and luck with other people, Tenkaku what the family brings, and Soukaku the overall arc of a life.
Because Tenkaku comes from the surname alone, it is the one pillar a parent cannot change. That is why Japanese parents usually optimise Jinkaku and Chikaku, the two pillars that depend on the given name they are about to choose.
Treat the outcome as tradition rather than prediction. Seimei Handan has been part of Japanese naming culture since the early 20th century, when Kumasaki Ken'ō popularised the five-pillar system, and many families consult it alongside meaning, sound and family wishes rather than instead of them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Seimei Handan?
Seimei Handan (姓名判断, "name judgment") is a Japanese fortune-telling tradition that reads a name's luck from the stroke counts of its kanji. It was popularized in the early 20th century by Kumasaki Kenō, and many Japanese parents still check it when choosing a baby name.
What are the luckiest stroke counts?
In the table this calculator uses, the great-fortune (大吉) numbers are 1, 3, 5, 6, 11, 13, 15, 16, 21, 23, 24, 31, 32, 33, 41, 45, 47, 52, 61, 63, 65, 67, 81.
Why do different Seimei Handan sites give different results?
Schools of Seimei Handan count strokes differently. Some use modern character forms, while others use traditional forms or count radicals by their original characters (for example 氵 as 4 strokes, from 水). This calculator uses modern forms. See our methodology for details.
Should I choose a name based on Seimei Handan?
Seimei Handan is a cultural tradition, not a scientific prediction. Many families treat it as one consideration among meaning, sound and family wishes.
Does it work for a non-Japanese name?
The five pillars count kanji strokes, so a name written in the Latin alphabet has nothing to count. Convert your name to katakana first with our name converter, or use one of the suggested kanji spellings, then enter that.
Which pillar matters most?
Most schools look hardest at Jinkaku, the personality pillar formed where the surname meets the given name, and at Soukaku, the total. Tenkaku is inherited with the family name, so it is usually read as background rather than something to optimise.