The Cultural Affairs Agency plans to issue a directive calling on public offices, media agencies and other organizations to use the surname first for Romanized Japanese names, something which Foreign Minister Taro Kono has been urging. What's your stance on this?

I really don't care, but I think there are more important and pressing issues the foreign minister should be focusing on as opposed to name tags.

Instead of

They are in the minority, so they should use the normally accepted first name, last name.

Don't you mean Kono Taro...

Seriously though, I think this should be left up to media outlets and their own policies on style. Kono has let everyone know his opinion. Any further action will make him look like a micro-managing kacho.

In English, given names come first.

In Japanese, family names come first.

What right does a Cultural Affairs Agency have to order organizations and individuals to violate the norms of their own spoken language?

Use the names how they would be in the given language/country.

In English, given names come first. In Japanese, family names come first.

But the issue is about romanizing names, and may not be related to any specific language. But even in English, it's normal to retain the original order for Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese names. So why not for Japanese names too?

even in English, it's normal to retain the original order for Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese names. So why not for Japanese names too?

That's my thought.

Sounds like Japanese navel gazing. Bigger issues to deal with out there.