Hey there! I'm Shouq, and I've been living in Japan for almost four years now. I've got a bit of a situation with my middle name on official documents – it's quite long. If you've spent a good amount of time in Japan, you'll know that dealing with a middle name here can be a hassle, especially if it's a really long one. It messes up online forms, and I've even been rejected for credit cards because my identity couldn't be confirmed due to the mismatch between cards with and without my middle name. Recently, I found out about something called a "通称名" (tsuushoumei), which is like a legal alias you can register in Japan. This can help solve the middle name issue. You can register a simplified name without your middle name or even use your spouse's last name if you're married. I know some foreign residents here who prefer using their middle name as their first name just because it's easier to pronounce – you can get that registered...