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Please give me your favorite Japanese names and tell me why you like them and which meaning they have. Also tell me which meaning you prefer (for the ones that have several, and if you prefer them spelled in kanji, hiragana etc.).

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Mine are Akari and Kaede for girls and Aoi for boys (I know it is more popular for girls in Japan).

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I love Akari spelled with the kanji for "red" and "white jasmine". I love white jasmine and flowers in general as well as the color red. I think the meaning together is so interesting because it combines two colors and a flower and gives me a really pretty image. I like Aoi mainly for the color meaning and would spell it with that kanji. I love Kaede because it means "maple". Autumn is my favorite season and the imagery is so nice. Another favorite is Aiko for a girl (love and child) and Aya (colors). I always thought Midori (green) and Mika (beautiful and fragrance) were pretty too.

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I love the look of Saori spelled in kanji, but from the sound alone it is not my favorite unfortunately.