Talk:Yaotsu, Gifu

Dr. Masayoshi Arai, mayor of Yaotsu?
Note: The following unresolved query thread is copied from the Language reference desk of March 26, 2009, posted with the heading Dr. Masayoshi = Masayoshi Arai, Mayor of Yaotsu?

Captions to 1993 documentary photos list a "Dr. Masayoshi" as Mayor of Yaotsu, Japan. Google hits such as this indicate his name is probably Masayoshi Arai, but further searches are inconclusive. Then searching within Wikipedia, I got the impression* that the name "Masayoshi" may be either a surname or first name. My question: for "Masayoshi Arai," which is likely to be his surname? *Based on visual inspection; there's no dab page. -- Deborahjay (talk) 09:34, 26 March 2009 (UTC)
 * jp:新井 (Arai) is a common Japanese surname.--K.C. Tang (talk) 10:35, 26 March 2009 (UTC)
 * And Masayoshi is a typical first name that I really can't see as a surname. TomorrowTime (talk) 11:32, 26 March 2009 (UTC)
 * Ah, perhaps it's the name order that confused me? Search in Wikipedia on  Masayoshi  alone and you'll see what I mean among the various page names. -- Deborahjay (talk) 11:46, 26 March 2009 (UTC)
 * Yes, this can be confusing, since two different orders are used here (see Manual of Style (Japan-related articles)).--K.C. Tang (talk) 13:42, 26 March 2009 (UTC)

I can see that his full name, then, is Masayoshi Arai. One last question: would it be at all likely that in hosting a gathering (e.g. the dedication of a memorial to Yaotsu native son Chiune Sugihara) with local and foreign guests, might he have been addressed as "Dr. Masayoshi" and would this be an informal register? (N.B. With Israeli dignitaries, such a practice is not unknown though might nonetheless be a faux pas or even breach of protocol...!) -- Deborahjay (talk) 14:12, 26 March 2009 (UTC)

Here starts new thread on this talk page.

Masayoshi Arai (荒井 正義) was the mayor of Yaotsu from 1975 to (probably) 1996. He died June 3, 2007 in 90 years old (local news article in Japanese). Arai was his surname, so that he should have been addressed as "Dr. Arai" (if he actually had a doctor degree). --Sushiya (talk) 13:40, 19 April 2009 (UTC)