JAKARTA — Official population records in Indonesia show that hundreds of citizens carry names drawn directly from popular Japanese manga and anime characters, underscoring the deep cultural reach of Japan's animation industry in the world's fourth-most populous nation.

Data released by Indonesia's Directorate General of Population and Civil Registration revealed that 347 people are registered with the names Uzumaki or Naruto, taken from the protagonist of the long-running ninja series "Naruto." Another 181 share the name Nobita, the schoolboy companion of the robotic cat Doraemon. Sixteen people are formally named Doraemon itself. Seventy-nine others are listed as D. Luffy, after the rubber-powered pirate captain of "One Piece."

Additional anime-inspired names appear in smaller numbers. Records include 158 people named Sasuke, 152 named Uchiha, 65 named Shinchan, 60 named Boruto, 37 named Usopp, 23 named Inuyasha and eight named Suneo. An Indonesian official responsible for the resident registry highlighted the figures on social media, noting that Japanese pop culture has influenced the naming of Indonesian citizens.

The statistics come from civil registration data covering the first half of 2026. They illustrate how globally popular Japanese series have moved beyond television screens and comic pages into official identity documents. "Naruto," "Doraemon" and "One Piece" have enjoyed decades of strong viewership and readership across Southeast Asia, where dubbed and subtitled versions circulate widely on television, streaming platforms........

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