"Stark" > wrote in message
...
> Like to watch the first 10 or 15 minutes of Iron Chef, especially when
> they're preping big fish. But when they introduce the challenger chef,
> his named is printed on the screen as Komico Seiko, for example. But
> when the host bellows out his name he calls Seiko Komico. What's with
> the reversal?

Generally people in Japan refer to others by their surname followed by a term of
respect (san, = Mr or Mrs. sama = Mr. or Mrs. (pol) , manner, kind,
appearance) or familiarity (kun Mr (junior) (suf), master, boy). The given name
is seldom used.

I work with a Mr. Naruo (given) Uchida (surname) he is almost always referred to
as Uchida san.

In the Eastern European countries people were known by their given name follows
by their fathers given name. As example Anna Ivanivavna = Anna the daughter of
Ivan.

Dimitri