Free Japanese Name Numerology (Seimei Handan)｜Five Grids by Kanji Stroke Count

Enter a Japanese surname and given name to automatically calculate the Five Grids (Heaven, Personality, Earth, Outer, and Total) from kanji stroke counts, based on the widely used Kumazaki method. Free tool with a 1-81 fortune chart for reference and fun.

What Is Japanese Name Numerology (Seimei Handan)?

Japanese name numerology, known as seimei handan, is a long-standing tradition that reads fortune tendencies from the stroke counts of the kanji in a person's surname and given name. This tool totals the strokes in each part of the name and automatically calculates the "Five Grids": the Heaven Grid (total strokes of the surname), the Personality Grid (the last character of the surname plus the first character of the given name), the Earth Grid (total strokes of the given name), the Outer Grid (the remaining strokes not used in the Personality Grid), and the Total Grid (the sum of every stroke in the full name). Each grid is then checked against a 1-81 fortune chart.

Several schools of thought exist for calculating the Five Grids. This tool follows the most widely known approach, the Kumazaki method, and uses the stroke counts found in the official jōyō (common-use) and jinmeiyō (name-use) kanji tables. Some schools instead count strokes using the older Kangxi Dictionary forms, which can produce different results. This tool does not represent the views of any specific fortune-teller or authority, and results should be enjoyed as reference and entertainment only.

How to Use This Name Numerology Tool

  1. Enter the surname Type the kanji for the surname. Only jōyō and jinmeiyō kanji are supported.
  2. Enter the given name Type the kanji for the given name, using the same jōyō and jinmeiyō kanji only.
  3. Press "Calculate" The Five Grids (Heaven, Personality, Earth, Outer, and Total) appear along with each grid's fortune rank.
  4. Check what each grid means Hover over (or tap) any grid name to see a short explanation of what it represents.

Tips for getting more out of it

  • The Total Grid and Personality Grid are usually considered the most important of the Five Grids. The Total Grid reflects lifelong fortune, while the Personality Grid relates to personality and talent through midlife, so it's worth checking these two first.
  • When calculating the Outer Grid, a placeholder stroke called the "reisu" (霊数) is added whenever the surname or given name is a single character. If both the surname and given name are single characters (for example, 林一), a reisu is added for each, so the result is not simply the sum of the remaining strokes.
  • If your surname will change due to marriage, it can help to compare results for your old and new surnames side by side to see exactly how the Heaven, Personality, Outer, and Total Grids change.
  • This tool only supports stroke counts from the jōyō and jinmeiyō kanji tables. Because some schools use the older Kangxi Dictionary stroke counts instead, results may not always match other name numerology services exactly.

Ways to Use This Tool

Choosing a baby name

Compare the Five Grids for several candidate names to factor stroke-count fortune into your naming decision.

Checking a name change after marriage

If your surname will change after marriage, enter the new surname with your current given name to see how the Heaven, Personality, Outer, and Total Grids shift.

Considering a stage name or pen name

Compare the fortune ranks of several candidate names side by side when picking a new professional or pen name.

Curiosity about your own or a family member's name

A fun way to explore the meaning behind a name's stroke counts, whether for conversation or self-introduction.

Name Numerology Glossary

Heaven Grid (天格)
The total stroke count of the surname alone. It is said to represent the fortune inherited from one's family line, an element considered outside a person's own control.
Personality Grid (人格)
The combined stroke count of the last character of the surname and the first character of the given name. Sitting at the junction of surname and given name, it is said to reflect personality, talent, and fortune through midlife, and is one of the most heavily weighted of the Five Grids.
Earth Grid (地格)
The total stroke count of the given name alone. It is said to reflect fortune from childhood through early adulthood, along with a person's basic disposition.
Outer Grid (外格)
The total stroke count of whichever characters were not used in the Personality Grid (when the surname or given name is a single character, a placeholder stroke called the "reisu" is added). It is said to represent sociability and relationships with others.
Total Grid (総格)
The sum of every stroke across the full surname and given name (Heaven Grid plus Earth Grid). It is said to represent overall fortune across a lifetime and is often considered the most important of the Five Grids.
Reisu (霊数)
A placeholder stroke added only when calculating the Outer Grid, used when the surname or given name consists of a single character. It is not counted as part of the name's actual stroke total.
Fortune chart (数霊表)
A reference chart assigning a fortune meaning to every stroke count from 1 to 81. Totals of 82 or higher are reinterpreted using the remainder after dividing by 81.

Frequently Asked Questions

It depends on the school. This tool uses the modern stroke counts listed in the official jōyō and jinmeiyō kanji tables, but some schools instead use the older Kangxi Dictionary counts, which can differ for certain characters.

The Heaven Grid (surname strokes), Personality Grid (which includes the last character of the surname), Outer Grid, and Total Grid will all change, while the Earth Grid (given name strokes) stays the same. It's a good idea to calculate both your old and new surname to compare.

The reisu (霊数) is a placeholder stroke added only when calculating the Outer Grid, used whenever the surname or given name is a single character. If both are single characters, two reisu strokes are added in total for that calculation. It does not affect the actual stroke count of the name itself.

No, it is not backed by statistical or scientific evidence. It's best understood as a long-standing cultural tradition and a form of entertainment in Japan, useful as one reference point among many when choosing or changing a name.

This tool supports the 2,999 jōyō and jinmeiyō kanji. Hiragana, katakana, and older or variant character forms outside this list will be flagged as unsupported. Please use the standard forms listed in the official jōyō and jinmeiyō kanji tables.
Tool-kun

Side Note — When Did Japanese Name Numerology Begin?

Japanese name numerology as we know it today is generally traced back to research by Kumazaki Ken'ō during the Taishō era. The approach he developed, now known as the Kumazaki method, established a system for calculating the Five Grids from a name's stroke counts and judging fortune from the results. It became the foundation for most of the name numerology practiced in Japan afterward, and many of the online tools you'll find today still build on this same framework.

Interestingly, there isn't just one way to count strokes. Modern practice generally follows the stroke counts listed in the official jōyō and jinmeiyō kanji tables, the same counts taught in Japanese schools. Older schools of thought instead count strokes according to the Kangxi Dictionary, an older reference that assigns strokes by radical in a different way, counting the water radical (氵) as four strokes because it derives from the character 水, for instance. This is why the same name can sometimes produce different Five Grid results depending on which school's counting method is used.

The fortune chart itself, covering strokes 1 through 81, typically uses a graded scale rather than a simple good-or-bad split, ranging from excellent to great, good, fair, poor, and very poor. This layered approach is thought to echo ideas from ancient Chinese numerology, and the broader notion that specific numbers carry meaning shows up elsewhere in Japanese culture too, from milestone birthday celebrations to the Shichi-Go-San festival marking children's ages.

Read related trivia

Browse all trivia

People who viewed this tool also viewed

Japan Holiday Calendar — Is This Date a Holiday? Plus Streak Ranking

Instantly check whether any date in :year — including New Year's Eve or other notable days — is a Japanese public holiday, including substitute and citizens' holidays — plus the longest holiday streaks and the story behi...

Holiday Checker (Is This Day a Holiday?)

Select a single date to instantly check whether it is a Japanese public holiday or substitute holiday. The day of the week is also shown at the same time.

Rokuyou Calendar

Rokuyou (先勝・友引・先負・仏滅・大安・赤口) calendar for :year. Use it to check auspicious days for weddings and events.

CE / Japanese Era Quick-Reference Chart — Era Changeover Dates & Age by Birth Year

Instantly convert between CE years and Japanese era names (Reiwa, Heisei, Showa, Taisho, Meiji), including the exact start and end dates of each era changeover. It also calculates your current age from your birth year —...

Japanese Era Names (Gengō) — Full List, Taika to Reiwa

An easy-to-read, complete list of all 247 Japanese era names (nengō/gengō) from Taika (645 CE) to Reiwa, one row per year — including the longest era, Shōwa (62 years). Covers Northern and Southern Court eras of the Nanb...

Japanese Era & Zodiac Lookup

Enter a Gregorian year, or how many years ago, to instantly find the matching Japanese era name, Japanese calendar year, zodiac sign, and historical period.