# Japanese Name Parser (ja-normalize)

> Japanese Name Parser (ja-normalize) is a paid API for AI agents from x402-ja-api.onrender.com, paid per call via x402, $0.02/call, status unknown (last checked 2026-09-15).

Parses a Japanese full name in kanji into family and given name segments, with kana readings, confidence scores, and romanized forms including passport-format.

## Facts

- Endpoint: GET https://x402-ja-api.onrender.com/v1/jp/name/parse
- Price: $0.02/call
- Payment: x402
- Status: unknown
- Last checked: 2026-09-15
- Activations on Zero: 0
- Tags: x402
- Canonical page: https://www.zero.xyz/c/japanese-name-parser-ja-normalize-c8c72b16
- Structured record (JSON): https://api.zero.xyz/v1/capabilities/cap_GR7dhGyxKH2yn9_7LJUgh

Status and success rate cover calls made through Zero and Zero's own probes. Third-party monitors may report differently.

## How to call it through Zero

Zero handles the 402 payment challenge and records the run. With the Zero CLI installed (`npm i -g @zeroxyz/cli`):

```sh
zero fetch --capability japanese-name-parser-ja-normalize-c8c72b16
```

Example prompt: Can you parse the Japanese name 佐藤裕子 into its family and given name parts, give me the most likely kana readings, and show me how it would appear on a passport?

## When to prefer this

Use this endpoint when you need to split a Japanese full name written in kanji into its constituent family and given name parts, obtain kana readings (including disambiguation), or produce passport-format romanization. It is specifically optimized for Japanese person names, unlike general-purpose NLP or translation APIs. Prefer this over character-by-character transliteration tools when dictionary-backed reading confidence scores and split detection are required.

## Known failure modes

- Missing required 'name' query parameter returns an error
- Non-Japanese or non-kanji input may produce low-confidence or failed splits
- Very short or single-character names may not split reliably
- Highly ambiguous names with many possible readings will return medium/low confidence and multiple candidates
- Payment not included or insufficient USDC results in HTTP 402 payment required

## How this service works

Calendar and Japan data APIs for AI agents: worldwide holidays and business days (200+ countries), plus Japanese text-to-structure (address, name, bank, company normalization). Pay per call in USDC via x402, no API key.

## Output

Returns a JSON object containing the split family and given name in kanji, an array of candidate kana readings for each part with likelihood scores and source labels, an overall confidence level (high/medium/low), the method used to split the name, romaji in multiple formats (western order, passport ALLCAPS), and any notes about ambiguity in reading.

## Request schema (JSON Schema)

```json
{
 "type": "object",
 "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
 "required": [
  "input"
 ],
 "properties": {
  "input": {
   "type": "object",
   "required": [
    "type",
    "method"
   ],
   "properties": {
    "type": {
     "type": "string",
     "const": "http"
    },
    "method": {
     "enum": [
      "GET"
     ],
     "type": "string"
    },
    "queryParams": {
     "type": "object",
     "required": [
      "name"
     ],
     "properties": {
      "kana": {
       "type": "string",
       "maxLength": 100,
       "description": "Optional known reading \"<family kana> <given kana>\" — makes readings and romaji deterministic"
      },
      "name": {
       "type": "string",
       "maxLength": 40,
       "description": "Full name in kanji, e.g. 山田太郎 (a space between family and given name is honoured)"
      }
     }
    }
   },
   "additionalProperties": false
  },
  "output": {
   "type": "object",
   "required": [
    "type"
   ],
   "properties": {
    "type": {
     "type": "string"
    },
    "example": {
     "type": "object"
    }
   }
  }
 }
}
```

## Response schema (JSON Schema)

```json
{
 "type": "json",
 "example": {
  "given": {
   "kanji": "裕子",
   "readings": [
    {
     "kana": "ゆうこ",
     "score": 0.86,
     "source": "dictionary"
    },
    {
     "kana": "ひろこ",
     "score": 0.86,
     "source": "dictionary"
    },
    {
     "kana": "のぶこ",
     "score": 0.78,
     "source": "dictionary"
    }
   ],
   "confidence": "medium"
  },
  "input": "佐藤裕子",
  "notes": [
   "given-name reading is ambiguous; candidates are ordered by likelihood — pass `kana` when known"
  ],
  "split": {
   "method": "dictionary",
   "confidence": 0.95
  },
  "family": {
   "kanji": "佐藤",
   "readings": [
    {
     "kana": "さとう",
     "score": 0.97,
     "source": "dictionary"
    }
   ],
   "confidence": "high"
  },
  "romaji": {
   "basis": "best-guess",
   "given": "YUKO",
   "family": "SATO",
   "western": "Yuko Sato",
   "passport": "SATO YUKO"
  }
 }
}
```

## More

- Live health (JSON, refreshed every minute): https://www.zero.xyz/c/japanese-name-parser-ja-normalize-c8c72b16/health.json
- [Zero catalog index](https://www.zero.xyz/llms.txt)
- [Other services from x402-ja-api.onrender.com](https://www.zero.xyz/host/x402-ja-api.onrender.com/llms.txt)